The Senedd met by video-conference at 14:57 with the Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) in the Chair.

Statement by the Deputy Presiding Officer

We'll now convene, and so welcome, all, to the Plenary session. Before we begin, can I just set out a few points? A Plenary meeting held by video-conference in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Welsh Parliament constitutes Senedd proceedings for the purposes of the Government of Wales Act 2006. Some of the provisions of Standing Order 32.4 will apply for today's Plenary and those are noted on the agenda. I would remind Members that Standing Orders relating to order in Plenary meetings apply to this meeting.

1. Questions to the First Minister

So,item 1 in this part of the meeting is questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from Rhianon Passmore.

Children and Young People's Mental Health

Rhianon Passmore AC: 1. What priority has the Welsh Government given to the mental health of children and young people in Islwyn during COVID-19? OQ56295

Mark Drakeford AC: Dirprwy Lywydd, I thank the Member for the question. The Welsh Government has designated children and young people’s mental health as an essential service throughout the pandemic. Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has used additional funding provided to develop a range of innovative services involving other statutory and third sector partners.

Rhianon Passmore AC: Diolch. First Minister, last week was Children's Mental Health Week. I was pleased that the Government marked it by pledging to support young people's mental health week, and I was pleased that the Welsh Labour Government marked it by pledging to support young people's mental health services. This funding could be a real lifeline for so many young people who have been struggling throughout this pandemic. First Minister, can you outline how this funding will be used and how the Welsh Government will ensure it reaches the front-line services that are delivering this support in Islwyn?

Mark Drakeford AC: I thank RhianonPassmore for that follow-up question, Dirprwy Lywydd. I can tell her that of the £9.4 million, £5.4 million will be used to support child and adolescent mental health services provision, and that will include in-hospital provision, including the development of age-appropriate beds within local health boards where that is necessary, but there will also be a strengthening of support in community mental health teams to provide more intensive services for young people in the community, drawing them down from in-patient admissions. The remainder of the funding, £4 million, will support the expansion of the CAMHS schools in-reach pilot programme, and that is used to develop front-line capacity in our schools. And that, Dirprwy Lywydd, is part of the whole thrust of this additional money, which is to de-escalate intervention in the lives of young people. And that, as the Member will know, was reinforced further yesterday with an announcement of a further £2.5 million to support mental health and well-being services in our further education colleges, again aimed at the well-being of our young people.

Laura Anne Jones AC: First Minister, I, too, welcome any money towards this. Obviously it's in all of our hearts and minds at the moment, the struggles that many children are going through as a result of this pandemic, as, too, the parents and families also having to juggle and realign their lives to support them. But I was just wondering, as lots of councils are doing different things across the board in South Wales East but also across Wales, how this Government is finding the examples of best practice of using online services to support our vulnerable children and reaching out to those children who need it right now and making sure that best practice is spread across all of Wales. Thank you.

Mark Drakeford AC: Well, Llywydd, I thank Laura Anne Jones for that question. I agree very much with the premise of it. I think it's very good that there is innovation in different parts of Wales. I know the Member will join me in congratulating the Connecting with Telehealth to Children in Hospital team at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, which recently won the team of the year award of the Royal College of Psychiatrists for its development of telehealth services, and those developments are now being taken up by other health boards in different parts of Wales. And that, I think, is a very sensible way for these services to develop, encouraging local innovation and, as Laura Anne Jones says, where they're demonstrated to have success, then making sure that that success is translated into wider services in the rest of Wales. It's why we have a Welsh national young people's mental health toolkit, it's why we have cognitive behavioural therapy services available online for young people in every part of Wales, while, as I say, continuing to encourage innovation in the third sector and in statutory services in these extraordinary times.

Wales's Constitutional Status

Gareth Bennett AC: 2. Will the First Minister make a statement in relation to Wales’s constitutional status within the United Kingdom? OQ56293

Mark Drakeford AC: Dirprwy Lywydd, Wales is a devolved nation, participating voluntarily in the union of the United Kingdom.

Gareth Bennett AC: Thanks for that statement. We are going through a very serious health crisis and now also a mass vaccination programme. The procurement of the vaccines has been led by the UK Government, and I think most sensible people would agree that it has been a great success and that the procurement of the vaccines is a good example of the UK union working at its best. The Welsh Conservatives now seem to be belatedly coming over to the benefits of the UK-led approach, even though they failed to support amendments in favour of precisely that approach that were put forward by my party, the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party, here in this Chamber only three weeks ago, but better late than never. I wonder, First Minister, if you agree that it is perhaps time that you now stopped flying your kite about the UK becoming a federation and actually noted the very great benefits that can and did accrue from a UK-wide response to the COVID crisis.

Mark Drakeford AC: Well, Llywydd, I'm not responsible for the confusions of the Welsh Conservative Party, but what I am responsible for is reaching an agreement with other nations in the United Kingdom when I think it is in Wales's interests to do so. That is why we have a UK-wide procurement of supply of the vaccine, because, from the outset, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all agreed that that was the best way forward. That is what I mean by a voluntary association in the union of the United Kingdom.

David Melding AC: First Minister, do you agree with me that, for the future of the union, the best resource is our citizens, and that it's time for citizens throughout the United Kingdom to be involved in citizens' assemblies to help develop proposals that will lead to a new Act of union that will see a United Kingdom coherent constitutionally, I hope, for another 300 years?

Mark Drakeford AC: I definitely agree with Mr Melding that, in something as important as the future of the country in which we all live, the involvement of citizens in the reshaping of the United Kingdom is vital. I heard the Member being interviewed not that long ago, in which he said—and I very much agreed with him—that the current union is over. There's no point in us trying to keep something that no longer has the support it once did going in that way. We need to reshape it in the way the Member has just described, and, in order to do that, the involvement and the support of citizens is of course essential.

Carwyn Jones AC: First Minister, do you share my despair listening to people like Gareth Bennett and some in the Conservative Party who wish for Wales to have no existence at all? They want to wipe Wales off the map, and all because they can't get elected to Government in Wales. Democracy is fine for them as long as they win. First Minister, would you join me in condemning their strong dislike of our land and continue to oppose their feeble attempts to turn our country into a county?

Mark Drakeford AC: I absolutely agree with that, Dirprwy Lywydd. Wales is not a branch line of anybody else's Government. The Welsh Conservative policy is clear these days: it is a 'for Wales, see England' policy. It's a craven policy, Dirprwy Lywydd. It lets down the people of Wales, and my party in this Government will never put ourselves in that position.

Mandy Jones AC: First Minister, since being returned to the Senedd and working on various committees, including the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, my view on devolution has evolved, and I'm leaning towards a more grown-up relationship between the UK nations and a move to a more federal structure. I'm interested to know, after hearing your thoughts on the future direction for devolution, is there actually a middle ground between abolish and independence? Thank you.

Mark Drakeford AC: Dirprwy Lywydd, I thank the Member for that question and I congratulate her on the evolution of her views. I think it's genuinely encouraging when people use the experience that they have to think through these really important issues. And of course there is: my view is there's always been a middle ground between those who wish to separate us off from the United Kingdom and those who wish to hand us back to Westminster and Whitehall, and that is the policy of devolution, which gives us so much independence of action here in the Senedd to take decisions that affect only people who live in Wales, and those decisions should be made only by people in Wales. But at the same time, when we choose to do so, to pool our voluntary association and to be part of a UK-wide set of arrangements, that, I think, is the best of both worlds for people in Wales and a position that has been supported by Welsh people now for well over 20 years.

Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

We'll now turn to party leaders' questions, and the first this afternoon is Adam Price.

Adam Price AC: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Seeing those big, bold 'delivered' stamps on your annual report's opening page, First Minister, I was reminded of a paper I recently read about your Government, which said this:
'There tends to a box ticking drive to ensure Manifesto and Programme promises can be said to have been met. What I have never seen is an overall attempt to assess whether the desired outcomes underlying the Programme...are being advanced.'
Nowhere in your report do you acknowledge your failures, the missed targets, the broken promises. You said you'd eradicate fuel poverty by 2018; you didn't. You said you'd abolish child poverty by 2020; you didn't. You said you'd cut emissions by 40 per cent by last year; you didn't. To quote that paper again, about your Government:
'The current mindset puts delivery second best to maintenance of the status quo.'
Doesn't that just about sum things up, First Minister?

Mark Drakeford AC: Well, Dirprwy Lywydd, the Member appears to have picked up the wrong speech. There's a debate on the annual report later this afternoon. He'll be able to recycle his remarks, no doubt, again there. I think people who live in Wales do not share his sneering attitude to 20,000 new affordable homes here in Wales. Those young people who've taken part in the 100,000 additional apprenticeships would not share his view; neither will those thousands of older people who have benefitted from the most progressive approach to people being able to retain their assets when they go into residential care, nor those people who have benefitted from the new treatments fund, reducing the length of time waiting for new drugs here in Wales from 90 days to 13 days. Those are real differences in the lives of real people right up and down Wales. That's what I stand for. That's what the Labour Party stands for. He may prefer the vacuities of independence and other high-flown sentiments. We will deal with those things that make a difference in people's lives, and that is why they know that this Government is a Government that is on their side.

Adam Price AC: First Minister, the remarks I just read out are not my views—they're the views of someone who was a non-executive director of your Government for almost a decade. It's difficult to find a more damning indictment than this statement from them about that experience:
'I have never been part of a Board with such a lack of measures of progress or outcome success.'
You campaign in poetry and govern in prose, so the saying goes, but you deliver in numbers, because, without metrics, you are rudderless and directionless, and that's as true of your future vision, First Minister, as it is of your past delivery. This is what Welsh Labour grass roots had to say about your policy proposals for the election in May: 'they lack…transformative edge', they're 'cautious and uninspiring', they
'fail to measure up to the scale of the challenges that Wales…will face over the years ahead.'
You can dismiss my criticisms of your Government, First Minister, but can you dismiss the words of the very people who campaign to put you in the position you're now in?

Mark Drakeford AC: Well, Llywydd, our proposals for the next Senedd term will be published in Labour's manifesto. When the Member has seen it, he'll be able to make a judgment on it. He hasn't seen it; neither have the people that he appears to quote.

Adam Price AC: Well, the Labour activists I've quoted are critical of your party's final policy document, which I have seen, because it does not commit to extending free school meals—the very policy you've been attacking me on for these last few weeks. It seems I'm now closer to Labour values than you are.
The document contains few new ideas, but at least some new admissions. In it, Labour Party members, and I quote, highlighted the
'need for investment and policy change to build greater resilience to intense weather events',
which is a clearer admission than we've ever had from Ministers that you've failed to spend enough on flood defences, with disastrous consequences. It's hard to disagree with Labour members when they call in the document for more detail on a Labour vision for the future of farming, when your vision at the moment is no future at all. But perhaps the most telling sentence of all is this: the offer of social care free at the point of need—another Plaid Cymru policy—is desirable. The question is, First Minister: will it ever be deliverable with you and your party at the helm?

Mark Drakeford AC: Well, Llywydd, I have previously offered the Member an opportunity of a membership form for the Labour Party, in which he takes such an interest, because, if he did, he would be more familiar with the policy-making processes of my party. So, my party has not completed its policy-making process. There is no final document, to which he mistakenly refers. Indeed, I am looking forward to spending Saturday with members of my party looking at some 700 different proposals that party units right across Wales have contributed to the final stages of our policy-making process. The Member, I'm afraid, has simply been misled in believing that he understands the way that the Labour Party operates. We will continue to develop our policies. We will put them in a manifesto. Our manifesto will a deliverable manifesto. It will not be an uncosted wish list of the sort that he has spent many months now developing—social care today; more hundreds of millions of poundshe hasn't got to spend—never an attempt to tell us where that money will come from, of course, following the last couple of weeks' wish lists in relation to other things that he thinks that, simply by dangling them in front of people, he will persuade them to support. The Welsh public, unfortunately for him, is more discerning than he gives them credit for. They will know that, when promises are made, the wherewithal to keep them has to be found as well. That is why, later this afternoon, we will demonstrate that the promises made by my party at the last election have been delivered during this Senedd term. That is what people expect, not the sort of fantasy policy making that the Member continues to offer us here.

We turn to the leader of the Conservative group, Andrew R.T. Davies.

Andrew RT Davies AC: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. First Minister, I'd like to address the issue of waiting times in Wales, and I appreciate there are pressures on waiting times across the United Kingdom but, in Wales, for example, they're particularly acute, with 530,000 patients on a waiting list for starting treatment—the highest on record since data was first collected in this format since 2011. Two hundred and thirty one thousand of those patients have been waiting 36 weeks or more. That's a nearly 1,000 per cent increase from November 2019, when 22,000 patients were waiting over 36 weeks. And between March and November, there were 20,000 fewer urgent cancer referrals compared to the same time previously in the last 12 months. This is a matter of huge concern I think you'll agree, First Minister, so what action is your Government doing to address these waiting times here in Wales?

Mark Drakeford AC: Llywydd, I do agree with the Member that waiting times in the NHS are a cause of real concern a year into coronavirus, and he is right that that is a common position right across the United Kingdom. The first thing we have to do, and the most important thing that we can do, is to draw out of the health service the burden that it currently has to bear of people suffering from coronavirus to such an extent that they have to be treated inside the hospital, with all the impacts that that has on the ability of the health service to carry out all of the other things that we quite rightly look to it to do.
And in that regard, as the Member will know, at present we are succeeding—positivity rates down in Wales again today; the rates per 100,000 down across Wales again today. And this week I think, for the first time, we can see with some confidence that feeding into a reduction in pressures in the hospital system—for the first time for many weeks, fewer than 1,000 patients with confirmed coronavirus in a hospital bed, and the number of people needing intensive care significantly down in the last week as well.
That's the underpinning condition that we have to reach in order to reconstruct the health service for the future, and then when we are sure that we can create that capacity by having COVID-19 under control, then the health service will have a plan, and the plan will be based on clinical prioritisation. It'll be a plan led by clinicians, making sure that those whose needs are the most urgent will always in Wales be at the front of the queue.

Andrew RT Davies AC: First Minister, it is a fact, as I identified in my opening remarks, that waiting times are large across the United Kingdom—I accept that—but here in Wales they are particularly acute, with one in five people on a waiting list from the whole population. And where my concern comes into play here is the urgency the Government is putting into this to have a plan of recovery out of COVID. When you have the chief executive of Tenovus Cancer Care saying that they have faced pushback from Ministers when it comes to recovery plans for cancer services, and the report that Macmillan Cancer Support identified last week that 3,500 have gone with undiagnosed cancer because of coronavirus, this surely is a huge concern to us all, because of the detrimental impact this has on outcomes, and the longer term pressures on the health service.
So, why are the cancer charities saying that they are facing pushback from Ministers when it comes to putting an urgent cancer plan in place, and, if that pushback doesn't exist, will you commit to developing that cancer plan that is urgently required, as Tom Crosby has identified—the cancer lead for Wales—that the cancer services in Wales will have to perform at 120 per cent to 130 per cent of capacity to get into these waiting times that we are facing here in Wales?

Mark Drakeford AC: Well, Llywydd, I agree that the challenge that faces the health service post coronavirus is very real, that it will not be a recovery that will happen overnight, and I agree that it will need to be a recovery that is properly planned, and planned with clinicians. There is no pushback from this Government in terms of making sure that our health service is in a position to recover. There is a dialogue, and a dialogue does mean that there will be competing perspectives and different pressures. Now, the health Minister has been in conversation with interests in the cancer field very recently indeed in order to be able to plan ahead, as I said in my answer to the first question this afternoon from Rhianon Passmore. Cancer services have been classified as an essential service by the Welsh Government right through the pandemic. We have to do more to give patients, sometimes, the confidence to come forward and to take up treatment when they are fearful of the level of coronavirus in circulation. And I echo the views of the health Minister, which I've heard him say very recently, that, where people have treatments available to them, particularly where those treatments are urgently necessary, we urge those people to come forward, because our health service has organised itself to make sure that those treatments can be delivered safely and successfully.

Andrew RT Davies AC: Regrettably, in that answer, First Minister, I didn't hear you identify the plan to take services forward so that they can engage with some of those 3,500 people who've gone undiagnosed, as well as developing services across Wales to meet the challenge of the waiting times that I addressed to you in my first question. We do know that waiting times were a problem before the pandemic, where twice as many patients were waiting over a year than the rest of the whole of England. It is really important that we understand the level of activity that's going on in the NHS at the moment. Will you commit to publishing the activity data that the Welsh Government holds on procedures within the NHS here in Wales, and will you also commit to convening a national recovery board of the professions to make sure that, working with Government Ministers, patients and clinicians within the health service can have confidence that these plans are being developed and will be implemented so that we do not continue getting reports such as the Macmillan report last week that identified so many undiagnosed cases of cancer across Wales? And could you commit to publishing your response to the Secretary of State for Wales and the Secretary of State for health in England, when they offered mutual aid to support any efforts that might be put forward here in Wales to address waiting times and address getting people through the health service?

Mark Drakeford AC: Well, Llywydd, the final point is a piece of nonsense, isn't it? We publish figures monthly. The so-called offer from the Secretary of State was sent to us just at the point when English hospitals became overwhelmed by the level of coronavirus that they were facing. There's no offer of mutual aid in a system where they have twice the level of infection that we do here in Wales. It really—. To be honest—to be frank, Llywydd, it's just a piece of political games playing and it undermines the efforts of those of us who want to have a serious four-nation approach to recovering from this pandemic.
I've set out the plan already, Dirprwy Lywydd. The first part of the plan is to get coronavirus under control. I note that, for the second week in a row, neither opposition party leader wants to ask me any question about the most vital part of the health service in Wales today—the outstandingly successful vaccination programme here in Wales. As ever, with opposition parties, whenever anything is going well in Wales, they don't have a good word to say for it. For two weeks running, they couldn't find even a single question to ask about that outstanding success. That success will allow us to do what I explained to the Member, and that is to help us to get coronavirus under control, to draw out of the health service the pressure that it currently feels in dealing with the pandemic, and then to recover and to restore services outside coronavirus on the basis of clinical need. That will of course be designed with the professional groups that we are lucky enough to have in the health service in Wales. The serious job, rather than the petty, point-scoring approach to health service recovery, is one that people in Wales can be sure that this Government will pursue on their behalf.

Vaccination Roll-out in Alyn and Deeside

Jack Sargeant AC: 3. Will the First Minister make a statement on the progress of the vaccination roll-out in Alyn and Deeside? OQ56255

Mark Drakeford AC: Llywydd,the vaccination roll-out in Alyn and Deeside continues to accelerate, thanks to the commitment and dedication of all those involved in delivering this outstanding programme throughout the constituency.

Jack Sargeant AC: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. The vaccine roll-out in Wales continues to gain pace. Wales now has vaccinated more of its population than any other nation in the United Kingdom. Public sector workers once again showing that they can deliver and they do deliver when we need them. First Minister, how confident are you that we will meet the middle of February deadline, as promised? Secondly, how confident are you that we can continue to create more capacity going forward into the next stage of the vaccination programme? And finally, First Minister, I understand that professionals are working extremely hard to protect the NHS and the vulnerable, through a massive flu vaccination roll-out as well. Will you join me in congratulating everyone involved in both programmes?

Mark Drakeford AC: Well, Dirprwy Lywydd, I thank Jack Sargeant for an opportunity for the Senedd to talk about what everybody else in Wales is talking about, and that is the astonishing success of our national health service and those other public sector workers, the local government officers, who have helped us to open up mass vaccination centres, who found the desks, who found the chairs, who found the rooms; those volunteers who welcomed people on arrival; those members of the armed forces in every part of Wales are part of that enormous vaccination effort.
And Dirprwy Lywydd, it's right to put on record this afternoon. Just think of the last weekend. On Friday, we went through the 0.5 million barrier in terms of the number of people vaccinated in Wales. On Friday and Saturday, we vaccinated 1 per cent of the whole of the population of Wales on both days. And on Monday, we went through 600,000 people who've now successfully been vaccinated. It is an enormous tribute, at a time, as Jack Sargeant said, Dirprwy Lywydd, when our health workers are doing all the other things that we ask of them, including that flu vaccination programme, which, by the way, has once again been an outstanding success in north Wales in particular, and in the Member's constituency, we have some of the best flu-uptake figures anywhere in Wales. To do all of that at the same time while responding to winter pressures, while doing all the other things that Andrew R.T. Davies talked to me about, it's a remarkable effort, and we owe those people an enormous debt of gratitude, and I'm very glad to have the chance to put that on the record here this afternoon.
And we will, Dirprwy Lywydd, be asking even more of them in the weeks to come, because very soon, not only will we be offering a first vaccination to everybody in groups 5 to 9 of the priority list, we'll be offering a second vaccine to everybody in groups 1 to 4. And the Member asked me if I'm confident that we will complete the vaccination of groups 1 to 4 within the time frame that we set out and promised and I'm very pleased to say to him that I am very confident that we will achieve that here in Wales.

Mark Isherwood AC: Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board stated last Thursday that 'No vaccines will go to waste as we're using a standby list created in accordance with the national priority groups.' However, many Flintshire residents have contacted me concerned otherwise. One said, 'A neighbour had a knock on the door from a new resident who said every day there are spare vaccinations as many people were not turning up, and that if she was interested in a jab, her contact at Deeside vaccination centre would call her later in the day.' Another said, 'I've been made aware of a person employed on IT duties, aged 26 with no underlying health conditions, vaccinated at short notice. This is the third situation where I've heard of somebody outside of the roll-out criteria being vaccinated on short notice.' Another said, 'There are people who are not front-line NHS staff, over 80, et cetera, receiving appointments to have the vaccine. None had underlying health conditions.' They also copied me in on Deeside vaccination centre's online booking form, asking, 'Why is this being shared and used by everyone who shouldn't be eligible for the vaccine?' What, therefore, is going on, when surely any standby list should prioritise people like front-line police officers and teachers?

Mark Drakeford AC: Well, Llywydd, now we've heard the only Conservative contribution to the astonishing success story that is vaccination here in Wales: a collection of random and unattributed anecdotes that really don't amount to a single piece of serious commentary. Let me tell the Member: the health service across Wales, and in Betsi Cadwaladr too, is working as hard as it possibly can to deliver vaccination in line with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisationadvice. Of course health boards have reserve lists, so that when people are unable, for all sorts of reasons, to take up an appointment at short notice, there are other people who can be called upon, so that vaccine does not go to waste. What could possibly be objectionable in that? Would it not have been more fitting this afternoon if the Conservative Party could have found it in it to congratulate those people for everything that they are doing? Instead, when 628,000 people have successfully been vaccinated, he wants to talk to us about three people he has heard from who appear to have a complaint.

COVID-19 Vaccines in South Wales East

Delyth Jewell AC: 4. Will the First Minister make a statement on the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in South Wales East? OQ56297

Mark Drakeford AC: I thank the Member for that question, Dirprwy Lywydd. Over 100,000 vaccinations have now been carried out in South Wales East, in line with the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

Delyth Jewell AC: Thank you. First Minister, I want to ask you about vaccinations for people with learning disabilities living in care homes, which is an issue raised with me by a number of constituents. These families thought that their loved ones would be vaccinated in the first priority groups, due to the health Minister's pledge in this Chamber that all care home residents and staff would have received a vaccination by the end of January. But, care homes for people with learning disabilities were not included.
I've spoken to family members of residents with severe learning disabilities, who fear for their loved ones' safety, since people with learning disabilities have been six times more likely to die from COVID due to their vulnerability. I understand from Mencap that only 3,500 or so people live in residential or supported living settings. Given the phenomenal figures that you have just been quoting—34,000 vaccinations were delivered in Wales on Saturday alone—surely providing these vaccinations would have a negligible effect on the general roll-out. Finally, it should surely also be a responsible use of public resource, since caring for people with severe learning disabilities in hospital can be particularly difficult due to behavioural issues and a lack of language skills. So, First Minister, could I please therefore ask you to give serious consideration to changing this policy?

Mark Drakeford AC: Well, Llywydd, I have to make it clear to the Senedd once again that this Welsh Government follows the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The care homes that are included in the top four priority groups are the care homes identified by that committee. Where people with learning difficulties are captured by those top four priority groups, of course they will have been vaccinated. Where they are not, then they will appear in the next set of priority groups.
Now, it is no use Members here thinking that they know better than the JCVI. I have already heard from Mark Isherwood wanting me to overturn the JCVI advice and to put police officers further up the list. I've had questions on the floor of the Senedd by other Members wanting me to put teachers at the top of the list. Now, the Member wants me to overturn the JCVI advice for another group in the population. Every one of those groups has a case to make, and often a case that is compelling on its own terms, but the Welsh Government cannot overturn the advice that all four Governments of the United Kingdom are following.
Now, I noticed what the First Minister of Scotland, from the Member's sister party, said when she was being asked on the floor of the Scottish Parliament to do what she is asking me to do—to overturn the JCVI prioritisation list and to put people further up it than would be the case of the JCVI. And she said, on the floor of the Scottish Parliament, 'Our duty is to vaccinate in line with the JCVI recommendations.' I agree with the First Minister of Scotland there. That is what we are doing in Wales. That is what is happening in the area of Wales that the Member represents. And I cannot and will not do what I think would be an irresponsible thing and depart from the advice that we have received.

Hefin David AC: I've been in contact with constituents who've had the vaccine—both the Pfizer and the AstraZeneca vaccine—and two key questions that have been raised with me have been, first of all, about the timing for the second jab in the Aneurin Bevan health board area. Are we confident that they will be on course to receive that in the time that is designated? Would the First Minister give assurance on that? And also with regard to the AstraZeneca vaccine, is he confident that the efficacy of the vaccine will not be affected substantially by the South African variant and other variants? And, in that case, would there be a programme for booster jabs to be delivered via the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board for people in the Caerphilly constituency?

Mark Drakeford AC: Well, Dirprwy Lywydd, I thank the Member for both of those important questions. On the timing of the second dose of the vaccine, I've been contacted by a number of people telling me how pleased they were that when they went away from the mass vaccination centre where they'd received their first jab, they were given the date and the time to come back for their second vaccination. I think that gave them a lot of confidence that the system here in Wales is already geared up for what will be, Dirprwy Lywydd, a major challenge over coming weeks and months, because, from now on, not only will we be offering a first vaccination to people in the next set of priority groups, but we will be offering a second vaccination to people who we've already offered a first to as we complete groups 1 to 4. That is a major challenge. But as you've seen, the health service in Wales has risen magnificently to the first challenge, and I'm confident that the plans are in place to allow that second dose of vaccine to be delivered in time with the advice that we have from the JCVI.
As to the efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccination for the South African variant, there is still a great deal of work being done by scientists to assess that efficacy, and we get advice directly to the Welsh Government through those scientific communities. The preferable course of action, of course, is to make sure that we don't have the South African variant in circulation here in Wales, and a huge effort is going on to make sure that, in that small number of cases that have been identified, everything is being done to prevent onward transmission.
What we need to see, I believe, is a stronger set of defences at our borders. The UK Government's red list is the bare minimum of what needs to be done to make sure that all the gains that are being made in suppressing the virus and vaccinating our population are not put at risk by people coming into the United Kingdom from other parts of the world where further new variants may already be in the brew. So, work is going on on the efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccination, but more could be done to mitigate the risk of those new variants coming into the United Kingdom in the first place.

Easing Lockdown Restrictions

Laura Anne Jones AC: 5. What action is the Welsh Government taking to formulate a strategy to ease lockdown restrictions? OQ56292

Mark Drakeford AC: I thank the Member for that question. Our approach to easing restrictions will continue to be based on the latest scientific evidence and medical advice. We will ease lockdown in a gradual wayand update our coronavirus control plan to take account of new variants and the vaccination roll-out.

Laura Anne Jones AC: Thank you, First Minister. Obviously, public safety is of paramount importance, and we need to do everything we need to at the right time, but our businesses need as much warning as possible about when they can start preparing to get back to business. The Confederation of British Industry Wales has called on the Welsh Government to work on a road map out of lockdown so businesses can be ready when the time is right. In particular, they want you to confirm what will be considered low, medium and high-risk economic activity so that businesses can understand what will be open sooner and later. Businesses I've been in contact with are crying out for more clarity so they can invest and plan for reopening. Do you have an exit strategy in place that can be provided, in part, to provide that clarity and much-needed information for our businesses? Thank you.

Mark Drakeford AC: Well, it's called the coronavirus control plan. It was published on 14 December. It sets out our alert level framework. It tells people in Wales what the indicators are that we will use to decide whether Wales is at a level 4 set of restrictions, level 3, level 2, and it explains what will be possible in terms of reopening the economy, personal life, sporting and cultural activity at each of those levels. The plan was published in that way precisely in order to offer the sort of certainty that the Member has asked for. I think it's all there. I said in my original answer that we will update that plan, because it was drawn up before the Kent variant was widely understood and before the vaccination programme had got under way. I'm keen that we should update the plan to take account of those positive developments on the one hand and challenging developments on the other. But when we update it, it will continue to do what it set out to do, and that is to give people as much certainty as we can, in the highly uncertain circumstances of the pandemic, by giving people a clear sense of the indicators we will use to move between levels and the sort of activity that could be resumed when we are in a position to move out of level 4, as we are today, and to move down the levels, restoring freedoms as we do so.

John Griffiths AC: First Minister, there's a great deal of concern in Wales about the effect on children and young people of the pandemic and the restrictions, which I know you very much share. I very much agree with you in terms of the priority of getting our children back to school as quickly as possible, possibly starting with foundation phase children. Would you also agree that we need to get our young people, our children, able to take part in sport and the many activities that they enjoy for the mental and physical health advantages as well as the social interaction that involves? When there is some leeway to do so, First Minister, would restoring those activities be amongst, perhaps, the first thoughts that you have as to how we can ease restrictions?

Mark Drakeford AC: I thank John Griffiths for those points. Indeed, they are points that Laura Anne Jones herself has put to me in the past. The coronavirus control plan that I referred to does very specifically say that supervised children's activities can resume when we're in a position to move towards alert level 3. I very much agree with the points the Member made about the impact that the whole of the last 12 months has had on children and young people. That is why our top priority is to get those young people back into the classroom. As more headroom appears, provided it does, then offering those young people opportunities outside school, particularly in the open air, will be very much part of the thinking of this Government.

International Priorities

Mick Antoniw AC: 6. What have the Welsh Government’s international priorities been during the COVID-19 pandemic? OQ56291

Mark Drakeford AC: During the early months of the pandemic, our international activity included obtainingPPEand assisting the UK Government to help Welsh citizens return home from abroad. The recently published international action plans set out our priorities in supporting Wales's recovery from the pandemic.

Mick Antoniw AC: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. As the UK has left the European Union, I certainly think it is now vital that Wales establishes its own role in the world as a nation as of right. The Welsh Conservative Party have made it clear that they would massively restrict the ability of the Welsh Government to engage with other countries by cutting the funding to those areas that are not overtly devolved, effectively gagging Wales's voice in the world and preventing us from speaking up for our nation and businesses overseas. It's clear to the majority of us here that this approach would have massively hampered the benefits that international co-operation has brought to Wales, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. So, First Minister, during this pandemic, what role has Wales played internationally and what are the Welsh Government's ambitions for future international engagement and international co-operation?

Mark Drakeford AC: I thank Mick Antoniw for that question. He's absolutely right; there's never been a more important time to sustain the profile and the reputation of Wales abroad. We remain an outward-looking, international nation, and that has been very important to us during the coronavirus crisis, directly in the contacts that the chief medical officer has had with colleagues in South Korea and Sweden and in the Robert Koch Institute in Germany, for example, and in the work that Public Health Wales has done alongside the World Health Organization. It has been very important, I believe, to have sustained our links with key international networks over the past 12 months.
I'm grateful to the Member for representing Wales at the last meeting of the UK Committee of the Regions contact group, and grateful to David Rees and to Russell George for agreeing to be representatives for Wales in those future arrangements. We haven't stepped back during the past 12 months from our involvement, for example, in chairing the Vanguard Initiative, an initiative amongst a series of regional Governments looking at smart specialisation and capitalising on the strength that we have in south-east Wales in particular. I know that Mick Antoniw will have paid particularly close attention to the continuing actions we have taken through the Wales and Africa programme, the PONT group in his own constituency having played such an important part in all of that.
I expect that to be part of the rest of this calendar year as well. In the last couple of months, I have met ambassadors from Japan, the President of the Basque Country, the ambassador from Germany, I met the foreign and defence Minister of the Republic of Ireland, I am to meet the New Zealand high commissioner tomorrow—all of these contacts demonstrate that there is an appetite in the rest of the world to maintain their contact with Wales. That is essential to us in terms of future trade opportunities and cultural exchange, and in terms of making sure that Wales's reputation in the rest of the world is powerfully sustained. I thank the Member for the contribution that he has made to all of that throughout this Senedd term.

Support for the Rural Economy

Nick Ramsay AC: 7. Will the First Minister make a statement on support for the rural economy during the pandemic? OQ56294

Mark Drakeford AC: The Welsh Government has taken a range of steps to support the entire economy, as well as making specific funding available for the rural economy in Wales.

Nick Ramsay AC: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. As you've just highlighted, the rural economy faces different and various challenges compared to urban areas, and that's always been the case pre the pandemic as well. The pandemic has exposed how vulnerable our rural way of life can be. Has any assessment been made of how many job losses there have beenin rural communities compared to urban areas, and how many losses of companies there have been? How is support being specifically tailored so that it is suited to the particular issues that rural areas are facing at the moment, and, indeed, as we come out of the pandemic and hopefully grow back better?

Mark Drakeford AC: I thank the Member for that important question. He will know that, at the present moment, the level of job losses in the UK economy is quite difficult to discern. The job retention scheme, which we have supported, has suppressed the level of job losses, and the Bank of England and the Office for Budget Responsibility tell us that it will not be until the second and third quarters of this year that we get a proper sense of the economic impact that coronavirus and Brexit, leaving the European Union, have had on our economy. So, at this point, I think it's quite difficult to have identified with any reliability the level of job losses in different parts of the Welsh economy, whether that is sectoral or geographical. The Welsh Government's help has, though, been very specifically directed to sectors of the economy that are important in parts of rural Wales. The support that we've provided to the tourism sector, for example, is a very important component of the economy of rural communities in many parts of Wales, and the additional help that we have announced in recent weeks will go on sustaining that industry through until the end of March. I'm very happy, in the way that the Member suggested, to make sure that we go on working with those interests that represent the different parts of the rural economy here in Wales to make sure that, as we move beyond coronavirus and into the recovery period, this Welsh Government will go on supporting them so that they are able to resume the economic activity that they wish to be able to carry out in order to be able to create successful futures in those industries.

Thank you very much, First Minister.

2. Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for European Transition (in respect of his 'law officer' responsibilities)

Item 2 on the agenda this afternoon is questions to the Counsel General and Minister for European Transition in respect of his law officer responsibilities. The first question is from Janet Finch-Saunders.

The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021

Janet Finch-Saunders AC: 1. What discussions has the Counsel General had with law officers in the UK Government as to the impact of the Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021 on the operation of the law in England and Wales? OQ56266

Jeremy Miles AC: Officials attend monthly meetings with UK Government counterparts on policy development in this field. No issues were identified with the operation of the law in England and Wales in relation to these regulations. They will help protect cross-border watercourses, such as the River Wye, from the consequences of agricultural pollution.

Janet Finch-Saunders AC: Thank you. According to regulation 46,
'any person who contravenes any provision of these Regulations is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction, or on conviction on indictment, to a fine.'
The regulatory impact assessment has calculated that the upfront capital cost could run to £360 million. That's £100 million more than the latest total income from farming in Wales, and your Welsh Government is only covering 3.6 per cent with the £13 million offered. It is completely unreasonable and desperately improportionate. Due to your Welsh Government's actions, farmers from every corner of Wales could be joining the long line of individuals awaiting conviction in magistrates' courts.
Whilst the UK Government is establishing Nightingale courts to help ensure that justice continues to be served during the pandemic, your regulations could cause further pressure. Rather than trying to see farmers deliver further pollution reduction via the threat of conviction, and burdening magistrates, will you encourage the Welsh Government to listen to the recommendations of the Wales Land Management Forum sub-group on agricultural pollution, such as 5.4, which calls for securing a buy-in to a voluntary approach? Thank you. Diolch.

Jeremy Miles AC: The regulations are proportionate, in contrast to the implication in the Member's question—

Janet Finch-Saunders AC: I can't hear, sorry. I can't hear you very well.

Jeremy Miles AC: The regulations are proportionate, in contrast to the implication in the Member's question, as they're targeted at specific activities that cause pollution. They will be introduced over a three-year time frame. In addition to that, whether it's the sustainable production grant or the rural development programme and grant schemes, financial support is being made available in order to support farmers to work towards that new regime, which is important for the support of our environment. And whilst recognising the financial costs incurred in regulation of any new sort, I would remind the Member that it was her party that sought to take £137 million this year out of the pockets of farmers, and it is the Welsh Government, in fact, that's found that money from other sources to make up the difference, to protect farmers from experiencing that financial hit.

Question 2, Neil McEvoy. No, I don't think the Member is present. Therefore, question 3, Janet Finch-Saunders.

Question 2 [OQ56263] not asked.

Financial Conduct Authority v. Arch Insurance (UK) Ltd and Others

Janet Finch-Saunders AC: 3. What discussions has the Counsel General had with other law officers in the UK regarding the impact of the judgment in the case of Financial Conduct Authority (Appellant) v Arch Insurance (UK) Ltd and others (Respondents)? OQ56265

Jeremy Miles AC: The Welsh Government—[Inaudible.]

Janet Finch-Saunders AC: I can't hear.

No. There is a problem, Counsel General, with your sound. I wonder if you, or if broadcasting—

Jeremy Miles AC: Is that better, Dirprwy Lywydd?

That is better, thank you, yes.

Jeremy Miles AC: The Welsh Government welcomes the clarity that the judgment provides for business and individual customers. And we will continue to work with the UK Government, devolved Governments, and the industry, to monitor the impact of this court judgment on the matter of legitimate insurance claims.

Janet Finch-Saunders AC: Thank you. It's really heartening to hear that you are working positively with the UK Government on an issue such as this. The appeals clarify whether a variety of insurance policy wordings cover business interruption losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and public health measures taken by UK authorities, in response to the pandemic, from March 2020. So, as you've rightly pointed out, the judgment is some good news for businesses. For example, disease clauses were interpreted as covering business interruption losses resulting from COVID-19. The Supreme Court held that an instruction given by a public authority may amount to a restriction imposed in prevention of access and hybrid clauses. And it is also sufficient for a policy holder to show that, at the time of any relevant Government measure, there was at least one case of COVID-19 within the geographical area covered by the clause. So important were the issues raised in the case that, of course, it proceeded directly to the Supreme Court under the leapfrog procedure. What steps will you take to help make businesses across Wales aware of the important judgment that has been made, and the most positive impact that this could potentially have on them? Thank you.

Jeremy Miles AC: Well, I reassure the Member that, I think it was in April of last year that I and the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport first met with the ABI—the Association of British Insurers—in relation to this specific matter, before litigation was contemplated. And it is to be welcomed that the 21 types of policy clause that have been sampled by the Supreme Court have been the subject of this clear outcome. And the practical effect is that the insuring clauses, which are the subject of the litigation, will provide the cover. We continue to point businesses with whom the Welsh Government have connections and relationships to the information available, and to resources that are in the public domain, in relation to this important judgment. Because it does provide a kind of clarity that businesses have been asking for for many, many months.

Question 4 [OQ56261] has been withdrawn. Therefore question 5, David Melding.

Consolidating Welsh Law

David Melding AC: 5. Will the Counsel General make a statement on Welsh Government efforts to consolidate Welsh law in the fifth Senedd? OQ56271

Jeremy Miles AC: The Senedd has seen the publication of the Law Commission's report on the form and accessibility of Welsh law, the commitment of this Government to a programme of consolidation and codification, and the delivery of the Legislation (Wales) Act 2019, which creates new duties to improve the accessibility of Welsh law. Work is now under way on the first two consolidation Bills, which would be available for the Government in the next Senedd to take forward, if they wish to do so, along with other projects to consolidate and codify Welsh law.

David Melding AC: Thank you for that reply, and, whilst I welcome the Welsh Government's ambition in this area, I do feel it would have been better if we'd taken an area of really important public policy and seen some significant advance during the fifth Senedd, and housing law is a key area where we could have done that. I think we've passed four housing Bills or four housing Acts. And do you share my disappointment that, for whatever reasons, and I'm not attributing blame, it has not been possible perhaps to make as much advance as we would have liked, given that we've now had our law-making powers for nearly 10 years?

Jeremy Miles AC: Well, I think it's always preferable, as David Melding's question implies, to legislate in a way which is as accessible as possible, but it's sometimes the case, when reform in a particular area is particularly intense, that can sometimes be the least convenient point at which to consolidate the law. But I do reassure him there are at least two consolidation Bills, which, whilst they haven't reached the Senedd yet, will be available to the Government in a new Senedd to start with their new statutory obligations. And I do celebrate that this Senedd has passed the legislative underpinning for that consolidation process, which I know he is an advocate for himself. And the sorts of challenges that he is setting us, as a Government, will be facilitated by the fact the Senedd has passed that legislation.

Commentary on Welsh Law

David Melding AC: 6. Will the Counsel General make a statement on efforts to improve the quality and scope of commentary on Welsh law during the fifth Senedd? OQ56272

Jeremy Miles AC: The Senedd has seen the Government progress its ambitions for increased content about Welsh law, including steps to improve explanatory notes, to develop a new Law Wales website and to begin the work to organise and publish law by subject, rather than chronologically.

David Melding AC: Thank you for that reply. And I do welcome the efforts that have been made, which I think are quite considerable. And do you agree with me that good quality legal literature is really important, not only for the informed citizen, but for the many high street solicitors out there that will be the initial point of contact for people having a query on Welsh law in key public service areas, and so that they can signpost and, then, see where they may need to develop more knowledge and seek that advice, that they can, at least, have that sort of portal, which will give them a good place to get a summary of current law?

Jeremy Miles AC: Yes, indeed. I do support that ambition. I would have hoped by now to have been able to make sure the Law Wales website, in its new revamped format, would be live, and also I think to have made more progress on the bilingual publication of legislation on the legislation.gov.uk website. Both those projects were somewhat delayed during the response to COVID, if you like. But we have made progress in building the new Law Wales site. Work on transferring content to it was under way when resources unfortunately had to be diverted to tackle COVID. But I absolutely hope we'll be in a position very soon to make that go live, and for that to be a way of attracting comment, both from practitioners, but other industry bodies about their legal perspectives. It is essential, as he says, to make sure that that rich commentary on the law that we pass is available and readily available, both to the interested member of the public, but also, importantly, to practitioners and intermediaries. And I hope we'll have more to say about that before the end of the Senedd term.

Thank you very much, Counsel General.

3. Business Statement and Announcement

Item 3 on the agenda this afternoon is the business statement and announcement, and I call on the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd, Rebecca Evans.

Rebecca Evans AC: Diolch. There are no changes to this week's business. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.

Paul Davies AC: Trefnydd, could I please request an oral statement from the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourismin relation to the impact of COVID-19 on tourism in Wales and the steps being taken to plan for the reopening of the sector?
Now, as you'll be aware, tourism plays a huge role in my constituency, and supports many local jobs in the area. Sadly, businesses across Pembrokeshire continue to have concerns over matters such as business support, and they also, crucially, need further clarity on the Welsh Government's plans for reopening the sector so that they can start planning and preparing their own businesses. I appreciate that it can be difficult for you as a Government to predict coronavirus infection rates, even in the near future, given we've seen so many twists and turns during this pandemic. Setting out a road map for our tourism industry would be enormously beneficial for our tourism businesses. Therefore, I'd be grateful if the Government could find some time for a statement to be included in the agenda in the near future, outlining the Government's intentions, so that businesses can start planning ahead, given that Easter is now on the horizon.
Secondly, could I also ask for a statement from yourself or the Minister for Housing and Local Government in relation to ensuring that people have access to cash facilities in their local community, which is particularly important, given the travel restrictions in place. You may, or may not be aware that Goodwick post office in my constituency is risking losing its cash machine, and, unfortunately, as I'm sure you'll appreciate, several banks in the local area have already closed, meaning that local people will be without access to a cash facility in that particular community. Given the importance of limiting travel movements during the pandemic, accessing cash locally is crucial, and, therefore, I'd be grateful if the Government could provide a statement outlining the steps that the Welsh Government is taking to engage with banks, post offices and, indeed, other businesses, to ensure that these sorts of facilities are available in our local communities.

Rebecca Evans AC: I'm grateful to Paul Davies for raising both of these important issues, and Welsh Government absolutely understands the importance of the tourism sector to huge swathes of Wales, and we're very keen to support the sector in as best a way as we possibly can. I know the Deputy Minister will be listening and considering the request for a specific statement on support, but I would like to reflect on the package of support that the Welsh Government has put in place for business. It is the most generous anywhere in the United Kingdom, and, actually, the funding that the Welsh Government has passed on to businesses here in Wales actually exceeds the consequential funding that we've received from the UK Government in respect of business support, and I think that demonstrates the priority that we are putting on the sector. But I'm sure that the Deputy Minister will be considering what you've said very carefully.
Again, I do share Paul Davies's concern about access to banking facilities and cash within local communities. The First Minister is very keen to pursue the idea of a community bank for Wales, and I know that my colleague Ken Skates has been working on this particular idea with Banc Cambriaand the Wales Co-operative Centre, and I will ask the Minister to provide all colleagues with an update on that work, because I know it's of particular interest to all of us to ensure our constituents have access to the facilities they need.

Mike Hedges AC: I would like to ask for two Government statements, one a statement on designation of something as a sport or whether it's play and leisure. I would suggest designating anything that is an Olympic event as a sport. Now, this designation has a major impact on when a facility can reopen and what tier it reopens in, and I think that there are a lot of people who are very concerned that they are actually sports that have been treated as if they are play and leisure.
The second one I'd like to ask, and Huw Irranca-Davies and I raised it a month ago, is for a statement on supply teachers and the way they're employed. I'm making a further request for a statement on supply teachers. My view on how poorly supply teachers are treated is well known, and I would like to see them employed directly by local authorities or groups of local authorities, but I just think we need a Government statement to explain why the Government does not support that.

Rebecca Evans AC: Well, the regulations determine whether a business or premise must remain close at the different levels of alert, and guidance on what is or isn't allowed and what is allowed to open or has to remain closed is provided in the Welsh Government's control plan. At alert level 4, restrictions require all sports and leisure facilities to remain closed, and at alert level 3, sport and leisure facilities, including fitness studios and gyms are allowed to open, but ice rinks and bowling alleys must remain closed. As Mike Hedges says, indoor play centres, trampoline and skate centres must also remain closed at alert level 3, but following the representations that I've received and those that I know Mike Hedges has also received, when we are able to move to alert level 3, the Welsh Government will be revisiting guidance to provide any further clarification that may be required.
And in respect of the request for the statement on supply teachers, I do know that the Minister for Education has written twice to Mike Hedges with some further information outlining the support, guidance and advice that the Welsh Government and the National Procurement Service have provided to supply teachers during the pandemic, and we do continue to liaise with our counterparts within the UK Government and all stakeholders to provide the very latest support and guidance. But, as I say, the Minister for Education will have heard the request for further information this afternoon.

Leanne Wood AC: The Government will no doubt be aware of recent reports of care home staff having to take annual leave when they're required to self-isolate, and this is because the £96 per week statutory sick pay simply isn't enough to live on, especially when many people working in care homes have had to isolate a number of times. So do you agree with me that this is wrong, and that the situation needs rectifying? And can we therefore have a statement in response to the solution to this problem that is being pursued by the Scottish Government, where anyone earning £9.50 an hour or below have automatic entitlement to the self-isolation payments? I'm of the view that this is essential if we are to keep transmissions of COVID down.

Rebecca Evans AC: Welsh Government has put in place the £500 payment for those individuals who are required to self-isolate as a result of the conditions of the pandemic, but I will ask the health Minister to review your comments this afternoon in specific regard to those care home staff who are now being asked to take annual leave, given the specific role that those care home workers play in the pandemic.FootnoteLink

Information further to Plenary

Jenny Rathbone AC: [Inaudible.]

You need to—. Sorry, you've only just unmuted, so can you start again, please?

Jenny Rathbone AC: Thank you. I wanted to raise a serious incident that took place at the Queensferry Gypsy and Traveller site managed by Flintshire County Council at the end of last month, which involved the mishandling of a COVID outbreak. An incident management team was set up, and somebody somewhere decided that—rather than asking the five families where someone had COVID to self-isolate, a decision was made to force everyone living on that site to become quarantined, regardless of whether or not they had tested negative. And what's more, a security firm was appointed to enforce this decision. I, frankly, know of no other instance where a whole street or a whole block of flats has been quarantined, and certainly not without putting in place arrangements to provide money to compensate people for loss of earnings, or the provision of essential food and medicines. So, I'm quite sure, if the incident management team dealing with the outbreak at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency had decided all their staff had to be confined to the workplace, there would have been an outrage at this breach of their human rights. I want, therefore, Trefnydd, to ask if we could have a statement from the Deputy Minister, who is responsible for equalities, that there will be no reoccurrence of such a major breach of the Equalities Act 2010 and that local authorities are clear that security firms have no role in promoting good management of relations between tenants and landlords, which in any case is essential to achieve public health compliance with COVID regulations.

Rebecca Evans AC: Thank you. I know the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip will have been listening very carefully to that contribution. We do understand that Flintshire County Council is conducting its own inquiry at the moment into the events at the Riverside site, and we'll be keen to learn from their findings. I would mention, though, that the Welsh Government has been very keen to provide good advice to local authorities since the very start of the pandemic. Back on 26 March, we provided advice to local authorities on how they can best support Gypsy and Traveller communities on sites and on roadside encampments through the pandemic. And our advice is really clear, in that managing COVID-19 incidents on sites must be based on clear communication, building trust and taking time to ask what support is needed by those residents. But I know that the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip will have heard the request for the particular statement.

Darren Millar.

Darren Millar AC: Can I thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer? Trefnydd, can I call for two statements, please, from the Minister for economy and transport? The first I'd like to request is an update on the developments in respect of the north Wales metro. I noticed that there was some reference to the south Wales metro in the news this week, and it reminded me of the fact that of course there's going to be significant investment in the south Wales metro—some £0.75 billion, compared to just a paltry sum of £50 million being spent and invested on the north Wales metro. I think that, regardless of whether there are delays in the south, we certainly need to understand why there's such a disparity in the funding between north and south Wales for these two metro projects, and we certainly need to have an update on the situation in the north.
Can I also request a statement from the Minister for economy and transport in relation to the impact of the Welsh Government's clean air proposals in the White Paper that was published recently? You'll be aware, Trefnydd, that that White Paper suggests that we could have road pricing introduced in Wales on Welsh trunk roads. That would be absolutely devastating for people living in my constituency, who use trunk roads to get to and from their place of employment, to and from places of education like schools, and, indeed, for the tourism industry, which is absolutely dependent on people arriving from places on the trunk road network, such as the A5, the A55 and A494. I think it is absolutely imperative that we don't do anything to undermine the impact of the pandemic, and I can't think of anything worse than introducing road pricing in Wales at a time like this.

Rebecca Evans AC: I will ask the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales to provide Darren Millar with that update on the north Wales metro.FootnoteLink
With respect to the clean air proposals, I would certainly encourage all colleagues to take the opportunity to seek to engage constructively with the White Paper and to come forward with their own suggestions as to how we can potentially ensure that, in future, we do have the clean air that we all aspire to and which will require interventions from all of us in all kinds of different ways. So, in the first instance, I think engaging constructively with that particular piece of work would be a useful first step.

Information further to Plenary

Huw Irranca-Davies AC: Trefnydd, in November, we celebrated 20 years of the Wales Union Learning Fund. It's a programme that allows trade unions to support workers back into learning, and, since April alone, in 2020, the fund has supported more than 5,000 workers with learning, advice, guidance, on essential skills and career progression. So, with the worrying news that the Conservatives are axing the funding of the Union Learning Fund in England a year earlier than expected, can I ask the Welsh Government for a statement on the importance of workplace training and the role of the Wales Union Learning Fund in Wales?
Can I also ask for an update on the Welsh Government's discussions with Centrica, with regard to the company's recent industrial dispute, ongoing with GMB? Now, as you know, the union has taken industrial action against the company following their attempt to fire and rehire many of the hard-working staff that work for the firm. Now, as an important contractor with Centrica, and in recognition of the fair work ambitions here in Wales, I know that the Welsh Government recently wrote to the Centrica board about this very issue, so, Minister, I want to ask if the Welsh Government can publish the response it's received from the board, or at least provide a written update on the Government's engagement with the company. Thank you.

Rebecca Evans AC: Thank you to Huw Irranca-Davies for raising these issues, and the first one was in relation to the Wales Union Learning Fund, and of course that gives me an ideal opportunity to remind colleagues that it is HeartUnions Week, and, were it not for unions, we wouldn't have all of the workplace protections that we enjoy and which are so easy to take for granted. So, we're very proud of the work that the Wales Union Learning Fund has been doing, and of course there's never been a better time to join a union, with all of the threats of leaving the European Union and, of course, the importance of staying safe in the workplace during the pandemic.
On the specific issue regarding Centrica, the First Minister did indeed write to the board of Centrica on 1 February highlighting the significant concerns that the Welsh Government has with the actions that the company has taken in recent months, and that letter repeats the Welsh Government's clear, stated ask that the company returns to the negotiating table to seek an agreed way forward with the GMB. I do understand, as Huw Irranca-Davies says, that a response has now been received. Clearly, we'll have to consider if the response can be put into the public domain in full, but we will certainly find an opportunity to update Members on our engagement with the company.

And finally, David Rees.

David Rees AC: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Trefnydd, we all understand the issues relating to the flooding that happened in Skewen, and I very much praise the actions that the Welsh Government has taken to fund some of those residents to ensure that they have some support. But last night, on ITV's Sharp End, the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs seemed to indicate that they were asking the coal tips taskforce to take a look at the implications of mine workings as well across south Wales, and what that means for our communities. I wonder if we can have a statement from the Minister to indicate what exactly that taskforce will be asked to do, what discussions they're having with the UK Government in relation to these workings, and also what discussions they're having with the coal body and the UK Government to look at how they are liable for flooding from these workings. Because it's claimed the liability for floodwater is no-one's responsibility, but, when it emanates from a man-made structure that someone has responsibility for maintaining, surely there should be some liability there, and we should pursue that agenda very strongly.
Can I also ask for a statement from the Minister in relation to the dog thefts that have been happening lately? We have seen an increasing number of thefts of dogs and puppies across my region and area, and particularly across Wales. I very much appreciate the work that is done in trying to find those thieves and actually return some of those dogs, but we're now in a situation where people who are walking their dogs on the streets are being attacked and the dog's been stolen while they are taking that walk. It's clear we need to have a statement as to what action the Government is taking with the relevant authorities, with the police and the UK Government, and how we can perhaps adapt Lucy's law, when it comes in, to ensure that people selling these puppies illegally are going to be heavily penalised as a consequence of the actions they're taking.
And a final request, the Minister for the economy—

No, no—. No, no, I'm sorry. You have gone well over. You'll have to try again next week. Trefnydd.

Rebecca Evans AC: Thank you. The first issue that was raised by David Rees was the coal tips taskforce, and the extension of that work now into mine works, and that's following the recent flooding incidents. Welsh Government is really keen to see a joint programme of work between the Welsh Government and the UK Government on this, recognising that Wales does have 40 per cent of the coal tips of the whole of the United Kingdom, and clearly the mine works issues will affect Wales also disproportionately, so it's important that we do have the correct support to address that. I'll seek to provide David Rees with a full update in terms of the discussions that are going on in that regard, and also with regard to the coal authority in particular.
And then the second issue was the important one of dog thefts, which is becoming increasingly concerning to us across all of our communities, I think. The theft of a pet is a criminal offence under the non-devolved Theft Act 1968, and the maximum penalty of course is seven years' imprisonment. I know that Jane Hutt meets regularly with the police, and that she'll be keen to raise this issue with them on behalf of David Rees and all of us who have concerns about this particularly concerning area.

Thank you very much, Trefnydd.

4. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Update on COVID-19 Vaccinations

Item 4 on the agenda is a statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services—update on the COVID-19 vaccinations. I call on the Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething.

Vaughan Gething AC: Apologies, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm just getting my statement up. Here we are. I hadn't remembered all of it just yet.
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Today we have published the third of our reports summarising progress against our national COVID-19 vaccination strategy. These reports are published every Tuesday, in addition to the surveillance data that is published by Public Health Wales both daily and weekly, and the operational data that is being published by Welsh Government statisticians.
According to the figures published at midday today, the NHS Wales-led vaccination programme has now vaccinated more than 628,000 people across Wales with their first dose. That's essentially one in five of the population, and over 80 per cent of those included within the first four priority groups. Over the last week, our teams vaccinated someone in Wales every four seconds. We expected a further step up of activity over the last week. I'm pleased to say that happened and is borne out in the published data.
Friday, 5 February marked the sixtieth day of the vaccination programme, and was also the day when the number of people to have received their first dose of the vaccine in Wales reached the 0.5 million mark. NHS Wales also broke the daily number of vaccinations recorded on two consecutive days on Friday and Saturday. More than 30,000 vaccines were administered on both days, with almost 34,000 reported on Saturday alone. That means for Friday and Saturday, we vaccinated 1 per cent of the Welsh population on each day.
The vaccination programme continues to go from strength to strength. By the end of last week, we had vaccinated a larger proportion of the total population than any other part of the UK. That is still the case today with the figures just released. Last week, not only were we vaccinating more people each day as a percentage of our population than any other UK nation, but at that point we ranked third in the world, behind only the United Arab Emirates and Israel. That is a fantastic achievement and testament to the efforts of everyone involved—our NHS, local government, the military and all of the volunteers.
We delivered more doses of vaccine to health boards than on any other week, and vaccines were being administered in 493 locations across Wales. We are progressing well through the priority cohorts, and are on track to deliver against that first major milestone in line with our national plan. We expect to have offered the vaccine to all those in cohorts 1 to 4 by the end of this week.
Until now, we had been asking people to wait until contacted by the NHS. However, as the pace of our vaccination programme increases, our health boards are starting to ask people over the age of 70 to get in touch if they haven’t been invited for their vaccination, but that is only people over the age of 70. We'll communicate the arrangements for this over the next week through our health boards. Sorry, we'll communicate this through our health boards over the coming days. This is a key part of us ensuring that no-one will be left behind.
This week, we have also seen more good news about the vaccinations. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the independent regulator, released research demonstrating that the current vaccines are extremely safe, with only mild and expected side effects. Also, a study on the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine suggests that it could lead to a substantial fall in the spread, the transmission of the virus, and that protection remained at 76 per cent during the first three months after the first dose, and rose to 82 per cent after the second dose.
I am immensely proud of our NHS colleagues across Wales, and grateful for their and their partners' unrelenting hard work in sustaining the pace of our vaccination programme. This really is a marathon, but we have made a fantastic start. I hope that Members across the Chamber share that sense of pride in our national achievements. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer.

Andrew RT Davies AC: Thank you, Minister, for your statement this afternoon, and I too want to join in putting thanks on the record to all of the teams of vaccinators, and everyone concerned with the roll-outs across the whole of Wales. The numbers have gathered pace week in, week out now, and it's pleasing to see progress being made on the targets that were set by the Welsh Government early on in the campaign. And the point that you make about 60 days since the start of the vaccination programme clearly shows how right and proper it was that the UK Government went alone and purchased vaccines early, to allow us to get onto the field of play and start vaccinating people across the whole of the United Kingdom, but in particular here in Wales.
I'd like to ask a series of questions, if I may, Minister. Are you able to update us on the work that's going on with the black, Asian and minority ethnic community? I raised this issue about hesitancy about taking the vaccine up in certain communities across Wales, based on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies evidence that indicated a 70 per cent to 75 per cent reticence from certain communities about engaging with the vaccination programme. It's really importantthat any misunderstandings or false stories that are put out there are stamped on very early, and I'd be grateful if you could enlighten us with more information following me raising this with you when I was the health spokesman for the Conservative group a month ago.
Could you also highlight what progress is being made in particular with the second dose of vaccines, vaccination, and informing people of the call-back for the second dose of vaccines, because come March that will be a big part of the programme and it's important that the two run side by side without any disruption? I hope you'll agree with that, Minister.
Could you also identify the advice that is being given from Welsh Government in relation to the 70 to 74-year-old cohort? I certainly have evidence that that cohort are being directed to the mass vaccination centres rather than, obviously, having the vaccine in the GP surgeries, and when the GP surgeries are challenged on this point, they say it's due to advice that's come down from Welsh Government to direct people to the mass vaccination centres. So, I'd be grateful to understand how that advice has been distributed, because certainly for individuals who have been shielding in that cohort—. I have constituents who've raised problems in relation to the referral that they've had to undertake.
In particular, you'll be aware of the campaign regarding children with learning disabilities and in particular about trying to get prioritisation for the vaccine for those who are responsible for caring for children with learning disabilities. I appreciate the First Minister did touch on this, and the evidence that the Minister and the Government work to is the recommendations from the JCVI, but have you made any referrals back to the committee to seek clarification on the evidence that they've given you and the advice that they've given you in relation to the groupings, in particular when we talk about learning disabilities and in particular how they're more prone by six times to be susceptible to the virus? I think that's an important consideration when considering the advice they're giving.
Can you also confirm that there will be no interruption in supplies whatsoever because the supply base has now resumed because of the Pfizer maintenance that went down a couple of weeks ago? Your understanding would greatly enlighten people's views as to any possible supply problems that might be in the system, because I have a letter here from a GP surgery that indicated that they'd been told that there might be a pause in the supply of vaccines the week commencing 15 February. I'm not asking you to comment specifically on that particular matter, but I'd be grateful to understand the more general issue around the supply of vaccine into Wales. Thank you, health Minister.

Vaughan Gething AC: Thank you for the series of questions. I'll start with your first point and your last point together on vaccine supply. It is a UK Government responsibility, and the contracts that they've procured on behalf of the whole of the UK have allowed us to go out and deliver, and it's a credit to the way that our teams in Wales have then used that supply over the last weeks. I think from within your comments there was even some credit for the Government, as well as people outside the Government, for delivering that here in Wales at such a tremendous pace.
On vaccine supply, I've spoken not just with Nadhim Zahawi on a regular basis, the UK vaccines Minister, but I've also had conversations with both Pfizer and AstraZeneca and my officials. Pfizer had a planned pause in their production to restart on a more efficient basis. They are confident that that means they will be producing a vaccine at a higher rate, both to meet their commitments with the contract they have with the UK Government for all four nations, and indeed their commitments through Europe. That's good news and they also think that they will be able to negotiate the changed arrangements for goods to transfer between the European Union and the UK, and that of course is hugely important for all of us too.
On your point about BME take-up and hesitancy, it is a matter that I have been concerned about from the outset. We're well aware that there is a range of fake news and media associated with a wide group of people across the country. Some of that is particularly targeted around faith communities and around some particular communities, black and Asian-origin communities in particular. So, we're doing work, not just—. Other Governments are also doing something similar as well, in terms of UK-wide messaging, but also, later on today, I'll be joining a round-table with a range of community leaders to help address some of these very points. You'll have heard the comments that I've made and the First Minister has made at yesterday's press conference, indicating how we want to go about making this as open as possible in terms of what the Government does, but also the way that our health boards are doing direct outreach work with some of these communities. And I'm very grateful for individual healthcare staff who are reaching back into their communities to highlight the fact that the vaccine is safe and effective, and there is no bar to them taking it from either a religious or ethnic origin point of view, and that's really, really important for all of us, regardless of our own politics in the Chamber, to get on top of the fake news that will leave people more vulnerable to harm.
On second dose plans, that is very much part of what we're doing; you'll see more and more people getting their second doses in the information published every day. You'll also see the rate of second doses going up slightly. We did nearly 700 second doses yesterday and we're soon going to be in the territory of doing thousands of second doses through each week and then tens of thousands as we get to those people who need to have their Pfizer second dose as well. We need to make sure that the stock is available to make sure that we're giving people the right second dose over the weeks ahead.
Now, on 70 to 74-year-olds, I haven't given a direction that requires 70 to 74-year-olds to go to a mass vaccination centre. It would probably be more helpful if I could see the correspondence or the suggestion you refer to to try to address it. It's always a possibility that there are anecdotes and a suggestion that the Welsh Government has intervened when we haven't, and I'll be very clear that there is no policy choice that I have made requiring 70 to 74-year-olds to go to a mass vaccination centre. We're operating a deliberately blended approach, with 438 different locations where people can be vaccinated.
On your point about people with learning disabilities, it depends whether they're in scope to have a vaccine in the first place, because actually the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency authorisation doesn't cover every child, as you'll know, and it's also then about people who are carers and those who are carers within group 6, and those who are older adults with learning disabilities as well. And that very much is part of the challenges that we're considering, both in terms of our interaction with the JCVI and our Welsh representatives on that forum, but also in terms of our broader public health advice as well. In the course of rolling out to group 6 in particular, we will be doing some communications around that and trying to make that as clear as possible, and that'll inform not just what we do as a Government and the interactions health boards have with you, in your local capacities as Members, but obviously I will continue to make that available to health committee members in the regular briefings that we are continuing with. I believe that answers the questions that have been posed at this point.

Rhun ap Iorwerth AC: I would like to thank everybody involved in the vaccination process in Wales, which is clearly on the right track and that's something that we should celebrate. I was over in the vaccination centre in Ysbyty Enfys in Bangor yesterday, at the invitation of the health board, and it's useful to be able to see for ourselves in order to give comfort to some people who may be still concerned about the process. But it's very striking, not just how smooth and effective the system is, but how committed the staff are who are part of the process, and I know that we're all very grateful to them.
I was pleased to hear today that there will be a change to the appointment system, where people will be encouraged, at the moment the over-70s will be encouraged to phone if they haven't had an appointment. There is still a problem with the system and I hope that the Minister would recognise that. One solution that I've discussed locally is the need for more volunteers to do that work of phoning to ask people to come in. There is work within the health board in north Wales to create that army of volunteers. But what support can the Government provide at a national level to ensure that we have those people in place to do that appointment work, because that's going to become more and more intense, as we reach out to more and more groups of people to be vaccinated?
I would ask once again for the full data. I think it is important that we have that full data on the allocation of vaccines to the various nations of the UK and then within Wales too, and the different kinds of vaccines available as well. It's one thing to say that there is information of commercial sensitivity, but it's another thing to hear from Government that they don't know how much has been allocated to each nation. I would suggest that you need to know.
Again, I would ask for investment now, or at least start to invest and plan for investment, in the infrastructure required to deal with the new kinds of mRNA vaccinations. I don't want to hear about a GP, as I have heard, who refuses a tray of Pfizer because he can't deal with the 1,000 doses, and it's that lack of infrastructure making it difficult for that GP to accept that tray that he would have liked to have accepted. So, let's see the plan for the creation of a health and vaccination system in Wales that can copewith this new technology in terms of vaccination.
Finally, now that we see very positive evidence that the vaccinations do provide some protection against the transfer of the virus, isn't it now really time to look again at the list of priorities provided by the JCVI, and bring people such as those working in our schools, in the emergency services and public transport into the system sooner rather than later, as a means of cutting that transmission link from one person to another? We are in a very good place, but there's always room for improvement.

Vaughan Gething AC: There is always room for improvement, and I look forward to the coming weeks and months. There is certainly no complacency from our fantastic vaccination teams across the country in terms of what we're doing and what we think that we're going to be able to do, and need to do, in the weeks and months ahead.
On the appointments system, we are already looking at other potential uses of staff and volunteers, and, indeed, an online booking system, as we are rolling out to wider groups of the public, to make it easier for people to get a booking. We will also need to make sure that the second booking is done effectively and efficiently, while still running large numbers of first doses as well.
On vaccine supply, I expect that, this week, we will, in each of the nations, be able to publish some information on vaccine supply already received, which I hope will put the Member's mind at ease about the share that we are getting, but also about the use that we are making of that supply as well. It's taken certainly longer than I would have wanted to, but we, I think, have finally got to a position where all four Governments—and, indeed, the manufacturers—can have something that we can all provide to give the clarity that some people are looking for.
On your point about the information you have about a GP who can't accept a full tray of Pfizer at present, it's a combination of different points here, I think. It's the way that we get the trays, the size they are available in, and how they can and can't be broken down. It's also the reality that we aren't in a position to create that infrastructure in the immediate here and now. I appreciate that you are asking a future question, but it is a future question. Right now, with the amount of priorities that we have to deal with to roll out the programme, I think that to be wondering about how we can have storage facilities that can keep vaccines at under -70 degrees centigrade in local GP practices is probably the wrong priority for what we actually have to do now.
We do have to think about the lessons that we are learning as we go through the pandemic, as well as future courses, because it is entirely possible that there will be future pandemics. In many ways, the UK was lucky with SARS because SARS didn't arrive here and stay in larger numbers. SARS was actually even more deadly in terms of its acquisition rate and fatality rate than the current pandemic is. So, we have been incredibly fortunate. But, because other parts of the world were burned much more significantly by SARS, they had to have those arrangements in place. I have no doubt that, at the end of this, in every nation of the UK, we will have different arrangements in place for future pandemics, and that has to be a good thing for all of us.
When it comes to the JCVI priorities, it's a question asked on a consistent basis. Indeed, it was in First Minister's questions. We have a list of JCVI priorities that are about saving the maximum number of lives. We have asked, and we have representatives who are constantly looking at evidence from the JCVI and the questions that we have. We are looking not just at 1 to 9, but at the next phase as well, and about how we continue to save the maximum number of lives possible. That advice, at present, gives us our current priority groups. That's what we are working through at tremendous pace, and we will continue to do so.

John Griffiths AC: Minister, I was at a meeting last night in Community House in the Maindee area of Newport East, which has a number of ethnic minority communities regularly involved in its activities. There was a presentation on the vaccination programme, around the reluctance of some black and ethnic minority communities to take part. One of the major issues was that the presentation that we had from public health focused on UK statistics. The group felt that there is a dearth of information, at least that they have, at a Wales level on that reluctance that would seem to be present in black and ethnic minority communities to have the vaccine. So, their plea, really, was for that information to be available on a Wales level, so that they could best direct their efforts in terms of community outreach messaging and communication to the groups that most need to have the benefit of that effort. I wonder if you could tell me today what information the Welsh Government might be able to produce for groups such as Community House to bolster their efforts to encourage take-up of the vaccine in those groups.

Vaughan Gething AC: We're doing a number of things on this. It's not just about the publication of the data we have; it is about that deliberate outreach into communities that every health board is doing. They've appointed people to undertake those outreach roles. It's also about the engagement that we need to continue to have in a variety of ways. The meeting that I am having tonight is only one part of it. The work of our staff in reaching out to communities is part of it as well. On the data, there is some data that we're looking to have clarified and tied up. It won't ever be perfect. That's because we don't have the ethnicity of every single member of Wales available in a general practice record. We do have a range of approximations that we can take with some of the data we have, which would give us an idea and an indication. I think that will confirm that there is a differential level of take-up. It's about being able not just to confirm that, but I think more than that, to understand what lies behind that, and to be able to address it. That really is, I'm afraid, about taking on some of the myths and some parts of distrust between communities and larger public services that we know exist. The more we can do, the better for all of us, because the sooner we have population coverage, the sooner we'll be into a different way of dealing with coronavirus, which, I'm afraid, we may not get to eliminate, but we may get to live with in a way where it's an endemic condition that we can be regularly protected against, and remember the harm that it's caused in these last 12 months.

Mark Reckless AC: Minister, well done on a really impressive performance over the last couple of weeks. You and everyone who's working as part of this have dealt with the gap with vaccination rates with England that I previously criticised you for, and I think I should recognise how good it has been over the past two weeks. So, well done. Because, on average, people have been vaccinated later in Wales, because of the earlier slower start, will that lead to anyone being infected or potentially hospitalised or worse because of that slow start? Or do you think any effect from that has now been undone?
Do you yet say that we have caught up with where things had been in England in terms of the percentage of the most vulnerable, groups 1 to 4? We've discussed before that in Wales we have a more elderly age structure. So, are the same percentages yet vaccinated in those most vulnerable groups? Are you getting just a population share of supply from the UK, or is there a recognition in the supply of that higher proportion of elderly people, such that we may now get a bit more than that?
Thank you for the new report that's come out today. Looking through that, you speak of the achievements of the markers and the milestones. You refer to three markers through January for ambulance staff, care homes and deployment to GPs, and celebrate having achieved that. What's happened to the marker of 70 per cent of the over-80s by 24 January? Was that never a marker, or has that been airbrushed from the history of this? You highlight the very good numbers on Friday, 30,000, and 34,000 on Saturday. Are you able to update us on the numbers for Sunday and Monday, and how do those compare?
And finally, it's good to know that the over-70s should be getting in touch. I think that will help Members where we've had people who've perhaps said they hadn't it yet. We can get back and say thatif they're over 70, they need to get in touch. Just yesterday I was listening to the BBC Radio 4 PM programme. It was explaining that people in England should call if they were over 70 and haven't had it, but people in Wales shouldn't. Yet, today, we're told they should. Is there still more work to do in joining up communications and trying to have a better UK approach to those communications when things are different or changing, so that we try and co-ordinate those in a clearer way for people?

Vaughan Gething AC: Thank you for the recognition of the significant pace and scale of improvement over the last few weeks in the programme. There is always more to do, but I think everyone can take a share of pride in what we're doing across the country.
On your point about the future infection rates, full protection isn't provided until some weeks after the first jab has been provided, and then the second dose should provide a greater level of protection, but also longevity as well. The reality is that we won't know more about that until we're actually in a phase of having surveillance and understanding what then happens with the population. That's when we'll know more about transmission, as well as longer term protection, whether we will need to have future vaccination programmes, and, potentially, the frequency of those as well. There is still a range of unknowns, but what we do know is that the vaccines we have are effective, they're safe, and everyone should take up the opportunity to have their vaccine when they are offered it by our NHS.
On whether we've caught up with England regarding 1 to 4 and your question about whether population share or whether the need base within the priority groups governs supply, there was a pragmatic choice made between all four health Ministers in the UK that population shares were the neatest and the quickest way to make sure that vaccines came out. Then, the Prime Minister introduced a different target that actually then rehighlighted that there are different percentages of the population within those priority groups. I have had several conversations with Nadhim Zahawi about the reality that that changes the picture, and we then need assurances that we will have an adequate supply coming into Wales to meet priority groups 1 to 4. We do think we'll have adequate supply, but we haven't seen a bump-up over and above our Barnett share in terms of population. That means that we think we're going to have enough to cover groups 1 to 4, but the programme in Wales has to be even more efficient than programmes within the rest of the UK to meet that target, both in terms of correctly identifying and inviting people in groups 1 to 4 to come forward, as well as then delivering it, as well as getting on top and making sure we have a very minimal level of wastage as well. We're able to do that, and that's why I think we have some confidence that we will get to that milestone of groups 1 to 4.
On the question about over-80s, I think we've answered this question on many occasions. We didn't reach the over-80s milestone at the time, when we expected to, but we have now got to 86.1 per cent of over-80s, and the figures published today were at 79 per cent for 75 to 79-year-olds. On older people's care homes, we have completed 679 out of 691. There is literally a handful of older people's care homes left, and that is because they've had active infections within them. So, we're doing remarkably well. On the figures published today—you asked about our comparisons with England and others, and how does Sunday and Monday compare; we've published those figures. On a population share, Wales has now vaccinated 19.9 per cent, in England it's 19.1, in Scotland it's 17 per cent. The figures in Northern Ireland aren't available yet. On the population above the age of 16, Wales has vaccinated 24.3 per cent, England 23.7 per cent and Scotland 20.4 per cent. So, in each of those measures, we're maintaining a high rate of achievement in our relative position with other UK nations. But, actually, we still have to keep on going as quickly as possible until the fight is won with the virus.
On UK-wide comms, it would always be helpful if we could have a longer term conversation and one about information in advance rather than having to respond to statements made in other parts of the UK, but that is, as ever, a work in progress.

Huw Irranca-Davies AC: Minister, can I commend Dr Sarah Medlicott of Bron-y-Garn surgery and other GPs who contacted me over a week ago expressing their desire to begin vaccinations of a relatively small group of front-line police medics, who are at higher risk of exposure to the virus in a very specialised line of work? As you know, Minister, we hit a frustrating problem immediately in that the JCVI did not, at that point last week, include police medics in their top priorities. Minister, can I thank you and your officials and your advisers for the work you've done to advocate for the inclusion of police medics in the priority 2 group, which, of course, includes front-line health and social care workers? Could I ask you, Minister, for an update on this so that Dr Medlicott and fellow GPs can get on now with vaccinating police medics across the Bridgend and Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board area, but also, so that all health boards in Wales ensure that police medics are now recognised as front-line healthcare workers and can be rapidly vaccinated as part of priority group 2? And finally, Minister, can I just say well done to team Wales and NHS Wales, including medical staff and volunteers, for the success with the vaccine roll-out? It's been one heck of an effort, and I've seen it first-hand. I commend them all.

Vaughan Gething AC: Thank you. I'll deal with both points. In terms of Dr Medlicott and the work the local GPs have done around police medics, you're very current, because today I've agreed, and there's a note gone out through our system, that police medics are to be considered as analogous to group 2, because of the direct patient contact work they have, and it's analogous to a range of other activities. So, that does make sense. And a similar understanding of the JCVI advice: it doesn't always allow us to focus on every single nuanced area of practice, and that's why we've had to review some of these as we have gone on—the same points about the intimate care provision that some members of staff in education provide for special educational needs children in particular. So, that should be a consistent picture across Wales, and that's gone out into the system today, and thank you to Dr Medlicott and her colleagues for highlighting the issue, which has allowed us, including the questions you've asked, to make sure that issue is resolved.
In terms of team Wales, I think it's a tremendous team Wales effort. And as I've said repeatedly, we—. At the start of this, I said that we would end up in a position not dissimilar to other UK nations, and we wouldn't be left behind. After an initial modestly slower start, we've now caught up and surpassed other UK nations. We need to maintain the pace though, not just for the next couple of weeks, but for many, many months ahead. That's why in many ways—. I said it was a marathon in my statement, but in many ways it's an ultra-marathon—one marathon after another after another, and still needing to maintain the same relentless pace to make sure we have different choices to make in the future. And I certainly look forward to being able to do so.

Mark Isherwood AC: Many then potential vaccinators, including nurses and GPs, contacted me at the beginning of the roll-out, frustrated at the slow start then, but they've observed huge praise for that magnificent way they've risen to the challenge since.
You referred to second vaccines. I think the latest figures in Wales are one in every 909 people; in England it's one in every 119 people. So, there's still a gap, but I can recognise that the figure in Wales has still improved significantly. How will you ensure that that continued roll-out of the second vaccine programme focuses on what you identify as population needs, and doesn't disadvantage the roll-out of the first vaccine programme where it's most needed?
And finally, given that people classed as clinically extremely vulnerable are shielding, will you provide or are you able to provide an update on what percentage of the clinically extremely vulnerable group, such as people with cystic fibrosis, have now received their first coronavirus vaccination in Wales?

Vaughan Gething AC: On your final point, there is work in train that Public Health Wales is doing to provide a useful figure on the clinically extremely vulnerable or the former shielded group of people, and the numbers of people that have been reached. I don't think we're going to be able to break them down into condition-specific areas, but for that wider population, you'll understand that requires some work, because whilst we have about 130,000 people in Wales who are on that clinically extremely vulnerable group, many of those are covered in some of the other areas—some of them will be care homes residents, some of them will be people over the age of 80, 70 or 75. So, we need to make sure that we're not double counting them, otherwise I'm sure that you or other Members will be accusing us of overcounting our success rate.
On your points—your two earlier questions—about the second dose, I think the comparison with England is misleading: essentially, some parts of England jumped the gun and delivered their second doses much earlier. You'll notice, if you look back over the figures, a significant chunk of second doses were delivered many weeks ago when we'd actually agreed at all four nations to follow the advice of the JCVI, and indeed of all of our chief medical officers, about the inter-dose interval—the gap between the first and second dose. That's why you're only seeing a trickle of second doses taking place now, but you can expect to see a much greater number of second doses taking place in the few weeks ahead. And I am confident that when it comes to the first and the second dose, if we have the supply available to us, then we'll continue to go at real pace with first doses and meeting the second dose requirements too.
This is where I think we're going to see more use of, for example, community pharmacy—it was a point I made yesterday: as we need to have even more capacity, we can create extra capacity within our system. And that's only thanks to the level of planning that has gone into this over many months, but also the extraordinary commitment of our staff. It's a real team Wales effort that seems to be successful to date. We'll need much more of that in the weeks and months ahead, and I remain very proud of the work that everybody's doing on all of our behalves.

Thankyou very much, Minister.

5. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government: Working in Partnership for a Fair Work Wales

Item 5on the agenda is a statement by the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government: working in partnership for a fair work Wales, and I call on the Deputy Minister for Housing on Local Government, Hannah Blythyn.

Hannah Blythyn AC: Thank you,Deputy Presiding Officer.I welcome this opportunity to update the Senedd on the valuable work we are doing in social partnership in order to realise our ambition for a Wales of fair work.The past year has changed the way that we look at almost everything in our daily lives, including the world of work. And it has brought into ever sharper focus the challenges that already existed in the workplace alongside a reinforced appreciation for the workers that have kept us going, day in, day out during the coronavirus pandemic.
This Government absolutely recognises that the vast majority of employers have done right by their workforce, supporting them and taking steps to keep them safe. But, unfortunately and unacceptably, we know this has not been the experience of all workers. Coronavirus has exposed and amplified entrenched inequalities in the workplace. And as we take the road to recovery, it’s crucial that we do not allow challenging economic conditions to provide the fertile ground within which unfair work can take root and spread. It’s not just about building back better, but about choosing the route that best enables us to forge a fairer future together.
The Welsh Government is committed to putting into practice our priorities and ambitions for a fair work Wales, using all the levers at our devolved disposal to help realise fair work outcomes, and we have made good progress in the past 12 months.
The Welsh Government has established the social care fair work forum, bringing together trade unions, employers and the Welsh Government to chart a course towards fairer work in the social care sector in Wales. Never have we all been more aware of our incredible social care workers and the work they do than during the coronavirus pandemic. The forum has quickly established a number of task and finish groups to address issues around pay and progression, collective bargaining and ensuring a safe, healthy and inclusive working environment.
Recent progress on COVID workplace protections has been enabled by the work of the health and safety forum. Considerations around workplace health and safety have been radically altered by coronavirus and the national forum was established in the autumn to provide a way for trade unions, the main employer bodies from the private and public sectors in Wales and the relevant UK enforcement agencies to come together to share their collective experience and work together to enhance workplace health and safety in Wales. The changes we have made together to regulations and guidance will not only help keep workers safer, but our communities and country too. They are testament to what can be done when Government, trade unions and employers work together in social partnership.
There’s never been a more important time for workers and employers to be aware of their rights and responsibilities at work. Against the backdrop of the pandemic and on the back of a key recommendation of the Fair Work Commission report, the Welsh Government has teamed up with our social partners,the Wales Trades Union Congress, the Federation of Small Businesses, CBI, Chambers Wales and other key partners in Acas and Citizens Advice, to launch a campaign in December to strengthen knowledge and understanding of workplace rights and responsibilities.The campaign reinforces our support for widening access to trade unions and the benefits of employers and trade unions working as partners in a spirit of collaboration, shared commitment and mutual respect. Likewise, employers also need to be supported, and through the campaign, we are connecting employers across Wales with the support and advice they need to comply with the law.
We are also building relationships with UK agencies to improve networks, intelligence sharing and our own capacity to influence non-devolved policy. This approach is already paying dividends. Our work with Acas has seen them deliver additional free digital briefing sessions for employers and workers in Wales. This has linked into our campaign to help awareness of workplace rights and responsibilities.
Working across the Welsh Government, we are exercising the power of the public purse and our social partnership approach to promote fair work practices across both the public and private sectors, using levers such as the economic contract and the code of practice on ethical employment in supply chains. The challenge now is to strengthen the implementation by improving our reach and ability to both drive and support behavioural change.
It is right that we measure that which we value. And working with our social partners, we are developing a set of indicators that we will use to measure and track a range of fair work outcomes in Wales. For example, this includes tracking the proportion of the workforce earning at least the real living wage.
Finally, we are strengthening the social partnership approach that has been an important and established feature of our devolved politics and economy. Working in partnership has become the Welsh way of doing things and social partnership is a key way in which we can collectively improve public service delivery, and ensure fair work and wider social and economic well-being. Later this month, we'll be consulting on a landmark draft social partnership Bill, which will strengthen and promote social partnership, take forward fair work outcomes and achieve socially responsible procurement.
The pandemic has meant we have all had to change the way we live and work. This is no time to let up, let alone roll back workplace protections. As recommended by the Fair Work Commission's report, we are actively engaging with the UK Government to defend and promote Welsh interests. Any erosion of workers' rights is unacceptable, unnecessary and damaging, and we are holding the UK Government to its promise to protect workers' rights following Brexit. After all, a race to the bottom on workers' rights is not in the interests of workers, businesses nor the broader economy. Safe, secure and rewarding work is not just in the interests of the individual but industry too. It doesn't just make a difference to the workplace but to the Welsh economy as a whole. A better deal for workers will mean a stronger recovery for our communities and our country. That's why this Welsh Government remains committed to working towards fair work in Wales, not solely in principle but in practice, working together in social partnership to make a lasting difference to lives and livelihoods.

Helen Mary Jones AC: I would like to thank the Deputy Minister very much for her statement and to confirm that we in Plaid Cymru share the ambitions of the Welsh Government around this very important agenda, and add to the thanks that she has already given to all of those who are working together and collaborating on this important work.
I just have a couple of specific points that I wish to raise with the Deputy Minister. Firstly, she's right to say, of course, that the vast majority of employers have behaved very well, but we know that some, as she said, have not. I want to draw the Welsh Government's attention again to the ongoing situation at the DVLA. Now, obviously, the DVLA is not a devolved employer, but the Welsh Government does have a responsibility around enforcing the coronavirus regulations and ensuring that people are able to work safely. I am still receiving correspondence from people from the east of my region, in communities like Llanelli and Llangennech, who work at the DVLA, and they are still very concerned about being pressurised to work in unsafe circumstances, to the extent that some of them don't even want me to use their names, they don't want me to pass things on, even confidentially, to Welsh Ministers, because they're so worried. Now, I know that Welsh Government has sought reassurances from the UK Government, but it seems clear to me that, if those assurances are being given, then they are disingenuous at least, and I would ask the Deputy Minister to have further conversations with her colleagues in Welsh Government and see what more can be done to enable those workers to work safely. And I cite this, Deputy Presiding Officer, as an example of a really big employer that's got no excuse for not engaging in best practice.
I was pleased to hear the Deputy Minister refer to the social care work forum, and I'm in no doubt that their work will be very valuable, but I am concerned about delays in doing what it is fairly obvious to me needs to be done. I'm glad that there is a task and finish group looking at pay and progression, but surely the Deputy Minister must agree with me, it is time for all of those working in the care sector, especially after everything they've done in this last year, to simply be paid the real living wage. And I think we should aspire to be moving those workers onto Agenda for Change, onto the same pay and conditions as NHS workers. So, does the Deputy Minister agree with me that it's imperative that the work of these task and finish groups don't delay action and implementation? It is important to get it right, but these workers, predominantly women, need support and need to get justice really quickly.
Finally, Deputy Presiding Officer, the Deputy Minister makes reference to the economic contract and the code of practice on ethical employment in supply chains, and I'm very supportive of the principle of both of those. And she speaks of improving implementation and driving and supporting behavioural change, but can I ask the Deputy Minister what steps the Welsh Government are putting in place, what measures they're putting in place, to ensure that once an employer, for example, has signed up to the economic contract, that when they have been given grant aid and support or preferential loans, they then actually do follow the economic contract? Because it's one thing to get somebody to commit to something, it's another thing to check that they do actually follow through with those commitments. And I wonder what further thoughts the Deputy Minister has about how we can ensure that, as we come out of the pandemic, those commitments when they're made are actually kept to. Diolch yn fawr.

Hannah Blythyn AC: Can I thank Helen Mary Jones for her supportive comments there and her commitment in this area? If I start with the last point the Member made with regard to the economic contract, we're currently looking at actually how the economic contract has been applied previously, and there's a piece of work being led by my colleague the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales in terms of actually how, like I said, we can strengthen not just its implementation in terms of how it drives that change within organisations, but also making sure that it does deliver the change that it's intended to as well. I think it's a really good tool in terms of actually how we manage those relationships, and also support employers who do want to do the right thing to get to that point where we would expect them to be with their workforce, and actually—in terms of, actually, things around, particularly, areas around fair work as well, and particularly the well-being of their workforce.
In respect of the DVLA and the Member—[Inaudible.]—I don't know. It's shocking but not surprising that people are—. It shouldn't be the case that people are in fear of giving their information to a Member in order to make the case for them, and I can assure the Member that we will continue to strongly make the case for workers at the DVLA with the UK Government, and we're also—and make sure, obviously, we're in close contact with and speaking to the Public and Commercial Services Union, who are representing members there, and I'm happy to keep both Helen Mary Jones and other Members updated with regard to that.
I take on board what the Member says with regard to the work of the health and social care forum and the task and finish groups. Clearly, we what we want to see is action, but the right kind of action, and I think—. Like I said, if we hadn't been aware before of the incredible work of those health and social care workers looking after many of our nearest and dearest—and I'm sure we've all had personal experience as well, like myself—it's been brought into ever sharper focus with the pandemic, which makes the urgency of our work, but making sure we do it in the right way to make sure that that profession is not just fairly rewarded, but fairly recognised as well for the role that they do play in our communities right across the country.

Dawn Bowden AC: The Deputy Minister and I, of course, share a very similar background, so it comes as no surprise that I share her support and principles that underpin our social partnership work. Can I very much welcome her statement? Not because it's easy; indeed, in my experience, it's often more difficult, but it does help to build a shared commitment to a common cause, and, in tough times like those that we've faced over the last 12 months, that pays dividends—not the dividends that are measured in monetary value, but in shared values and common cause. So, as we mark HeartUnions Week, can I pledge my commitment to the work of social partnerships and urge workers across Wales to join a union and be part of this change that we're making to build back fairer in Wales?
But, Deputy Minister, do you agree with me that a legislative framework for social partnerships that we have developed voluntarily over so many years in Wales will be a key factor in engaging key stakeholders across all sectors in both the private and the public sector, and will demonstrate how committed a future and current Welsh Labour Government will be to ensuring fairness to working people in Wales? And put that in stark contrast with the way in which the UK Government has been treating its staff in places like the DVLA, as we've heard from Helen Mary Jones, but also DWP workers in my constituency, who are being forced to move from Merthyr Tydfil to inaccessible locations elsewhere in Wales.

Deputy Minister.

Hannah Blythyn AC: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and yes, I and the Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney do share a background of campaigning on workers' rights within the trade union movement, and I think it's timely for support for the social partnership approach in Wales, as we are marking HeartUnions Week across the UK and it's something that I am passionately supportive of as well.
I think, as the Member said, in the current circumstances, it's never been more important not just to protect and extend people's rights in the workplace and make people more aware of it, but the need for working in partnership. And like she said, it's not always easy, but it's the right thing to do and we have seen it. It is testament to that—over the past few months alone, the things we've been able to do in Wales to support people in work and actually to support businesses to do the right thing as well has been because of that forum we have for social partnership and the ability to bring all stakeholders around the table, albeit a virtual table at the moment.And as we move forward, what we want to do is strengthen that and formalise that commitment and that practice of social partnership with our social partnership Bill, which actually will be a key driver in the future to enable us to make those changes that we want to make within workplaces in the public sector in Wales, but also in terms of actually creating a shared objective in terms of getting to the fair work Wales we want to see, and actually which is to the mutual benefit of all stakeholders around that social partnership table.

Mick Antoniw AC: Minister, what a difference we have within Wales during this commemoration of trade unions during this trade union week, where we actually seek to work in partnership, in contrast to the situation in London, where legislation is being considered as a way of disempowering trade unions still further. So, I very much welcome this very timely statement.
Can I also really endorse what you say about the concerns we have about some of those large corporations—British Airways, British Gas—who've sought to use COVID as a cover for undermining ethical standards of employment and workers' rights? Can I also welcome your commitment in respect of the social partnership Bill, and ask you just a couple of questions about that? The Bill, it seems to me, is one of the most forward-thinking pieces of legislation—just as the future generations legislation was, this could be for ethical standards of employment. But it does seem to me that one of the important roles that we have to support is the role of trade unions in promoting collective bargaining, and I wondered to what extent the legislation you have in mind will actually promote collective bargaining, because we know that collective bargaining is very linked to combatting in-work poverty. And also facilitating access to trade unions—just as we raise the issue of access to justice, so access to workers' rights through trade unions must be an important part of that process, Minister.

Hannah Blythyn AC: I welcome Mick Antoniw's comments and support. I know this is an area that Mick has a strong track record in advocating and working on and campaigning for, and I know it's something that he is keenly interested in. And I think the point you made in your opening, Mick, really brought it home in terms of what you said—our approach in Wales is that the door's open to talk, and to sit round the table and to take things forward, where perhaps over the border the door's often firmly shut in people's faces. But really the emphasis is on our partnership working and a positive approach in Wales, and taking that approach not to be different, but because it's the right thing to do, and it doesn't just make a difference to people in work, but it makes a difference to our communities as well and our country as a whole.
With regard to the draft social partnership Bill, clearly, one of the recommendations of the Fair Work Commission was about, actually, the importance of being able to empower that collective voice within the workplace, and the role that plays in achieving fair work in Wales. The hope is that this draft social partnership Bill will enable us to actually bring all the stakeholders around the table to set clear agendas for what we want to see in Wales in terms of how that would be achieved right across the country. I know that many of our trade union colleagues will be very involved with the consultation process, and I'm really keen to have a very innovative and very open consultation process to shape this Bill in social partnership, to ensure that the collective voice of the trade union movement and the members is heard, and, at the same time, also making sure that we do that in partnership with our stakeholders from both the public and private sectors in Wales.

Huw Irranca-Davies AC: Building on the comments of my colleagues Dawn Bowden and Mick Antoniw, it's definitely true, Minister, that the social partnership in Wales is a model for the UK of how businesses and unions, workers and the Government, constructively work together on jobs and the economy and the skills agenda and much more. Now, I don't want to be presumptuous, but can I ask whether the Minister would consider, with the legislation in the next Welsh Labour Government, extending the fair work provisions and the economic contract in Wales to cover all businesses that receive public assistance and taxpayer funds? This could vastly extend the awareness of employee rights and fair work, investment in workplace learning, and it could be used to boost progress towards wider uptake of the real living wage and, as Mick said, an increased openness to collective bargaining, which we know drives up wages and pay and conditions. So, Minister, is the sixth Senedd the one in which we legislate to strengthen our social partnership working and we go further and faster to make work fairer?

Hannah Blythyn AC: I thank Huw Irranca-Davies for his question and his commitment in this area as well. Absolutely, the ambition is for the sixth Senedd to be the Senedd when we legislate to strengthen the social partnership agenda in Wales to bring benefits not just for workers, but for businesses and for communities as a whole. As regards the economic contract, like I said previously, a current review is being led on that in terms of actually how we strengthen its implementation and its ability to drive that kind of change and to support businesses to do the right thing. That will be—. That's work that's being spearheaded by my colleague the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, but, clearly, the issues you raise around fair work and what more we can do to support and drive that in businesses right throughout Wales, and the power of the public purse to do that, will be fundamental to the work of the future social partnership council, and also actually how we use our procurement levers in terms of the power of the public sector purse not just to drive fair work, but fair work objectives across the piece, whether that be in-work training or apprenticeships to ensure that people actually—that it's not just about pay, it's about progression, and about creating that fair work Wales that I'm sure that we all very much want to see.

Can I remind Members that, if they want to be called in statements, they should have their video cameras on so they can be seen? I will call Nick Ramsay, even though I couldn't see him. So, I don't know whether you've had a technical problem there, but I will call you. So, Nick Ramsay.

Nick Ramsay AC: Many problems—I'm not sure they would be classed as technical or not, but—. [Laughter.] I wasn't exactly anticipating being called, actually, for this, Dirprwy Lywydd. But, in fact, it's been a very interesting statement, and can I thank the Minister for it? I don't disagree with many of the points that have been made hitherto, but if I could just ask a couple of questions on the back of some points that have been raised, firstly, the pandemic has clearly shone a light on certain weaknesses in the area of workers' rights, weaknesses that I think we'd agree were often there anyway, but the pandemic has added extra pressures. So, as we talk about coming out of the pandemic, Minister, and building back better, too often I think that that can be an easy expression to use, but doesn't actually translate into protections on the ground. And I know you mentioned procurement in your previous answer, and that's an area that can be strengthened, so how are you going to make sure that this does actually translate into real protection and improvement to workers' rights on the ground as, as I say, we build back better?
And secondly, the well-being of future generations Act was mentioned earlier by one of the contributors. That's something that I as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee and the committee have been working on as part of our legacy work towards the end of this Senedd, and that's another area that is often very easy to talk about and certainly should have a large part to play in terms of protections for workers and safeguarding aspects of the economy. But it's not entirely clear how things like the Welsh Government budget do actually do that. So, what thought have you given to the well-being of future generations legislation to make sure that all of these things come together, we do build back better, we do build back greener, and workers' rights are enshrined at the very heart of policy making in the Welsh Government?

Hannah Blythyn AC: Just on that line, I think it's absolutely imperative, not just for individual workers but for workplaces across Wales, to ensure that those rights are enshrined and are top of the agenda, and to support both workers to be more aware of their rights and how to implement them and also to support businesses to know their responsibilities as well, which is why it's been central to our workplace rights and responsibilities campaign, which we're hoping now to go to the next stage and then actually to look to put it on a more permanent footing so that advice and support is available.
The Member came in on the role that we have—he was talking about the levers we have at our disposal in Wales in order to drive forward that fair work agenda and see a real difference not just in principle, but in practice. Clearly, procurement is one of the levers we do have there. So, as part of the proposed social partnership Bill that we will be consulting on—we start the consultation later this month—it will include a focus on socially responsible procurement and actually how we build on things that are already there—the rise in support and things like community benefits—to actually make sure that procurement is a key driver to enshrine fair work in everything we do within Wales. Obviously, the social partnership council will be central to making sure that we take the experiences of workers and of businesses to make sure that we can work together collaboratively and with consensus to take forward that fair work agenda in Wales to actually really start to make a difference—or to make a bigger difference—on the ground when it comes to people actually having not just fair work and pay and protections, but actually the opportunity to progress within the workplace right across Wales.

Thank you very much, Deputy Minister.

6. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services: The Rebalancing Care and Support White Paper

Item 6 on the agenda is a statement by the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services on the 'Rebalancing care and support' White Paper. I call on the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, Julie Morgan.

Julie Morgan AC: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. We remain committed to our vision of securing well-being for people who need care and support, and carers who need support. Significant progress has been made in the nearly 10 years since our first White Paper on social care, 'Sustainable Social Services: A Framework for Action', which marked the beginning of this journey. The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 has reshaped the nature of the sector. It shares with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 a focus on well-being, an ethos of prevention and early intervention, and the imperative of co-production and cross-sector working.
Whilst we have a strong legislative framework, there is a range of challenges facing social care, and of course the biggest challenge facing the social care sector is the funding position, set in the context of increasing and more complex demands on services, and years of UK-wide austerity have made their mark on public finances. The Welsh Government has increased local government budgets by £172 million in 2021-22, compared to the current year, but there is uncertainty about future budget decisions at a UK level. Even with the additional funding in the Welsh Government's draft budget, and the significant investment we have made in the sector to address costs arising because of the pandemic, the projected future funding need looks challenging. The Minister for Health and Social Services will update the Senedd in the coming weeks about the work of the inter-ministerial group on paying for care.
The pandemic has put the delivery of care and support under further significant strain, and made the fragility of the sector even more visible. It's difficult, I know, at the moment, to look much beyond each week, let alone to the long-term future, but the impact of the pandemic shows that we must work to put care and support on a much firmer long-term footing. That's why we must increase the pace of our transformational work to make social services sustainable. We must seize the moment when the public's consciousness of social care is at a high-water mark, and look to forge a Wales-wide consensus about what we need to do to build back stronger. We must learn from the way that the sector has worked together during the pandemic to co-ordinate and deliver services, in line with our vision of a healthier Wales.
I am strongly committed to decisions about local services being made as close as possible to local people, and therefore to local democratic accountability. In making that clear statement about local democratic accountability, it is not contradictory to point to the complexity in the social care landscape. I believe there are a number of issues that we need to address through an evolutionary approach to the policy direction that Welsh Government provides at a national level.
In January, I published a White Paper consultation on 'Rebalancing care and support'. I am proposing that to be fit for the future we need legislative measures that we believe are essential to secure our vision. In essence, the White Paper seeks to rebalance care and support so that it is based on a clear national framework, where services are organised regionally and delivered locally. We intend to develop a national framework for commissioning social care that will reduce complexity and ensure that quality is the key determinant of success in the social care market.
We know that continuity of the social care workforce has a significant impact on the achievement of people's outcomes, and therefore there will be a strong link between the national framework and action to support the workforce. A small national office will be set up to develop the framework productively with our partners, particularly in local government and the NHS. Separately, we will establish a professional voice for the social care and social work workforce, at a national level within Welsh Government.
We remain committed to regional partnership boards and want to support them to build on their successes, to strengthen integration across Wales. We will enhance regional partnership boards by providing them with a sharper set of tools to deploy, to deliver their core aims, to better plan and commission care and support where collective action is essential in order to improve people's well-being.
The proposals I've set out will reduce complexity, bolster sustainability and strengthen integration. They will increase transparency rather than obscure local accountability. The proposals are key to securing the vision for social care set out in the social services and well-being Act, supporting people to achieve their well-being outcomes.
The White Paper is a blueprint for a stronger, more balanced, care and support sector. It'll be for the incoming Welsh Government to take forward the results of the consultation about my proposals. And I hope that all Members of the Senedd will encourage all those with an interest to take part in the consultation, so that we can work together to achieve our vision of securing well-being for people.

Janet Finch-Saunders AC: Thank you, Deputy Minister. You describe the proposals in the White Paper as long-term solutions, and I think we're all looking for a long-term solution, yet it does fail to address what is arguably the biggest problem: finance. Yes, you have noted your inter-ministerial group on paying for social care, however, how much further on are you since the publication of Gerald Holtham's independent report 32 months ago?
You'll be aware that, in my previous portfolio, I held many social care forums and, from those, you really get everything coming forward from those who are working in social care. You have also previously hinted, or there's been innuendo, around the introduction of a social care tax. What is your position on that now? I think I've always made it very clear that I would prefer to see a social care efficiency inquiry undertaken, because lots of stakeholders have always maintained that, actually, there is lots of money in certain areas, but actually getting it out to where the wider need is is not always possible. So, sadly, the White Paper does raise even more questions than answers.
You were looking for a national framework, but despite exploring integration, you state that no current functions will be transferred from local authorities or health boards. Why? Frustratingly, despite the concerns about regional partnership boards being well known—and in our inquiry, we found many weaknesses—you wish to strengthen them further, so what work have you done on this to actually justify that being where you think the message can be carried out from? How can you justify this when your own White Paper states, and I quote,
'RPBs ability to meet their responsibilities could be regarded as limited'
and
'RPBs are concerned about managing a diverse cohort of need across localities'.
It is also explained that a national office for social care would deliver the framework. So, as I hope you'll agree, this should be independent of Government. Can you make that commitment to us today?
Whilst you have outlined the problems that unpaid carers face, you do need to clarify how the framework will improve their lives. And over the next 10 years, it is estimated that Wales will need 20,000 extra social care workers to cope with our ageing population. Therefore, will you be publishing a specific social care workforce plan that includes fresh ideas and a holistic approach to retention, and one that champions continuous professional development to go alongside the White Paper? The Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru noted in December very specifically that one call would be that those pressures continue to be recognised and, clearly, assisting care homes to remain viable during this. Sadly, we've seen so many care homes lose beds or indeed themselves having disappeared.
So, evidence shows that there is much more that your Welsh Government can do. In fact, only yesterday, Care Forum Wales warned that care homes across north Wales will be forced to close unless an emergency funding scheme, the hardship fund, is extended. So, will you be extending that? And can I reasonably conclude that you will look again and perhaps start to bring forward some solutions that really do address the present problems in this sector and those that we've all known about for quite some time? Thank you. Diolch.

Julie Morgan AC: Thank you very much, Janet, for all those points. First of all, I want to emphasise that this is only one bit of a jigsaw, and I explained at the beginning of the statement that the Minister for Health and Social Services will be coming to the Senedd to discuss the results of the inter-ministerial group. A lot of work has been done on that group to establish what the cost would be of taking forward certain priorities, and I think that he is in the best position to go through those issues with you. What I presented to you today is only part of the solution that we're proposing. The issue that Janet raised about a social care tax, all those have been considered by the inter-ministerial group and the Senedd will hear about that in due course.
The RPBs are still relatively new, but I think that we have seen signs of health and social services and local government working together better in those forums. What we've had said back to us is that they do not have enough tools to do what they want to do. We think that it's crucial that health and social services do work more closely together, but also to involve the third sector. As the Member will know, on RPBs, the third sector has a place. There's a place for the citizen's voice and a place for carers, and we want to strengthen those voices on RPBs. So, we think that RPBs are good bodies to build upon.
In terms of the national office, the national office could be part of the Government or it could be an arm's-length body. That is something that is in the consultation paper, and I hope that people will respond to the consultation paper to say what they think about that. Yes, we will need a lot of extra social care workers, because we know that we have an ageing population. But, one thing that we do want is that we want people to remain in their own homes as long as they possibly can, because that's what people want. We therefore want to see that we can give as much support for people to stay at home as we can. That is why we also feel that local government is the best place to deliver social care, because local government is close to the community.
We would like to see residential homes, for example, being much more a part of local communities. Many of them are already, but that, I think, is the way that we would like to see things develop. But, because of the fragility of the sector, and because of the huge range that there is within the sector, in terms of the fees that are charged and the fragility of the workforce, we think that by having a central, small body to try and determine how things are done within a national framework—that's what we think will help to address those issues. So, I thank the Member for her comments.

Rhun ap Iorwerth AC: I thank the Deputy Minister for the statement. Plaid Cymru has, of course, undertaken a significant amount of work through our care commission, which made the case for a national health and care service, and for a major shift towards preventing ill health and keeping people living independently. But, ours did so because that's what's best for people receiving the service. So, I'm surprised that the Government's White Paper and the statement, above all, frame this in the context of austerity and financial challenges.
It is the case that healthier people, living independently, will cost health and care services less money than the opposite, but I do fear that using austerity as the main justification may backfire somewhat. Do this because it's the right thing to do, not because the spreadsheet tells you to do it.
The challenges identified in the White Paper are similar to the challenges that we identified, actually: a lack of progress, in general, on the integration agenda; limited data-sharing progress; problems with commissioning. But, I'm not sure that the penny really has dropped with this Labour Government. In 2013, Plaid Cymru tabled amendments to the social services Bill to require partnerships. They were voted down in favour of voluntary agreements. You've been giving voluntary partnerships one last chance for most of the past decade.
It's also, I think, quite telling that your statement doesn't actually mention health or the NHS. So, perhaps the Deputy Minister could tell us how she sees integration working now. Certainly, it doesn't mention housing, or the wider environment. Yes, we know we need more housing adapted to help people stay living there. We need more semi-residential care facilities that avoid the problems with full residential care, whilst still supporting the people in them. But we need to address housing as a core part of this. It seems to me that we have silo working in clear view here.
Turning to something the statement does mention, the workforce. I too welcome some of the work that's been done on this, but it's worth remembering just how often the party of Government voted down attempts to ban zero-hours contracts in social care. As the Plaid Cymru commission recommended, it's our firm commitment that we will place social care staff on NHS pay scales, and finally make good the aspiration of making social care a valued career that people can aspire to. I wonder if the Deputy Minister can outline where she stands on that.
And finally, I'll turn to the commissioning practices. The problems of focusing on price over quality are heavily mentioned in the White Paper. Now, we know the Government proposes a national framework for commissioning, but I want to know more details about how this Government's proposed framework will avoid the race to the bottom that left our care homes so exposed to the pandemic. I remind you again that my proposal is for a set of national frameworks providing the backbone for local delivery in a properly integrated national health and care service for Wales.

Julie Morgan AC: Thank you very much, Rhun.Your last statement does not sound dissimilar to what we are proposing.
There are a lot of issues there. If I start off on the workforce, I am absolutely committed to recognising the value of the social care workforce. Certainly, this pandemic has absolutely highlighted the importance of the workforce. The public do, I think—maybe some for the first time—realise how crucial a job the social care workforce are carrying out. I was very pleased that we were able to recognise their work by acknowledging them with the £500 bonus, which was very well welcomed. But also, I think, it was an absolute recognition of the work that they're doing.
In the work of the inter-ministerial group, the pay of the social care workforce has been one of the dominant issues discussed. And, of course, as I've said, the Minister will come and speak to the Senedd about the range of options and their costs that have come up through the inter-ministerial group. A few Members said that we shouldn't let austerity determine it. We're not letting austerity determine what we're doing; we're just saying, really, that one of the results of austerity is that this situation is even more acute.
We are building the professionalism of the workforce already. As you will know, we have established a register of social care workers, which has been widely welcomed by the sector, and the social care worker card has also been very widely welcomed. We have tried, during the pandemic, to get as much parity as we possibly can between the health and social care workers. I think that there are huge challenges with social care, and I absolutely agree with you, Rhun, that it is crucial that health and social care work closely together.
I do feel very strongly that people who need social care help should be kept in the community as long as they possibly can, because that's where they want to be. But, of course, we do need the support for them to be there. I do think you're absolutely right in mentioning housing. Housing is one of the key issues that we have looked at in the inter-ministerial group, and things like extra housing and extra support in the community is one of the areas that I think that we definitely should be following and one of the things that the Government would support.

Jenny Rathbone AC: Thank you very much, Deputy Minister, for your commitment to decisions about local services being made with local people, because I think that has to be our starting point. Unless we have democratic accountability and proper engagement with the people who need the framework, the services that we need to provide them, then we really are not looking at the jigsaw that I like to refer to, which is the well-being goals infographic. We really do need to be addressing all the well-being goals when we're thinking of older people, not just younger people. I really do think that we have a challenge to address the preventative agenda to ensure that older people are living well longer. So, I very much welcome your aspiration to ensure that people are able to live for as long as possible in their own homes. I'm just wondering, if we really do have locally run services, whether regional partnership boards are able to really manage those and are really focused on local communities.
I was very interested in the pilots that we did into the neighbourhood nursing teams. Now we have the report, and we also have a commitment to roll out those neighbourhood nursing teams across the whole of Wales. I would be distressed to hear that we aren't going to have a joined-up health and social care set of teams who are going to be locally managed rather than always having to refer back to some bureaucratic organisation. I don't see how else they're going to be sensitive and responsive to the needs of local communities. I think it's right to base them in local government, but I do think that is a work in progress; it's not a given that just because they're local government services they are really focusing on the individual needs of very local communities. One of the most important things about the neighbourhood nursing teams was the use of artificial intelligence to do some of the tasks that otherwise take huge amounts of management time, i.e. matching up the constantly changing needs of local communities with the skills of the multidisciplinary team. So, I wondered how a decent and much more modern information technology system will enable these self-managed teams to be able to have the most responsive services that citizens want. There's no time to go into more detail now. I very much look forward to responding to the White Paper.

Julie Morgan AC: Thank you, Jenny, for that. Obviously, I think the neighbourhood nursing teams are something we could have a more detailed discussion about outside the Chamber. I do believe that local accountability is crucial, and I know that there's a long way to go in terms of the integration with health and social care, but that is one of our absolute aims. That is why, of course, we are building on what has been achieved so far by the regional partnership boards, which are varied across Wales. The amount of progress that has been made has been greater in some areas than others, but I'm determined that we will strengthen them and that we will make sure that the third sector, for example, has a strong voice there, as well as local government and the health services.

Thank you very much, Deputy Minister.
The proposal under Standing Order 12.24 is to debate items 7 and 8 on our agenda together, but to have separate votes. Do I see any objection to that proposal? No, I don't.

7. & 8. The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Restrictions) (Amendment) (No. 4) (Wales) Regulations 2021 and The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021

Therefore, can I call on the Minister for Health and Social Services to move the motions? Vaughan Gething.

Motion NDM7590 Rebecca Evans
To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 27.5:
1. Approves The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Restrictions) (Amendment) (No. 4) (Wales) Regulations 2021 laid in the Table Office on 28 January 2021.

Motion NDM7589 Rebecca Evans
To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 27.5:
1. Approves The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2021 laid in the Table Office on 29 January 2021.

Motions moved.

Vaughan Gething AC: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm happy to move the motions before us.
There are two sets of amendment regulations today. First, I'll consider those that relate to international travel, the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Restrictions) (Amendment) (No. 4) (Wales) Regulations 2021. Members will be aware that enhanced isolation requirements have been introduced for people arriving into Wales from countries where public health concerns have been identified in relation to variant of concern strains of coronavirus. All travellers arriving into Wales from countries subject to enhanced isolation requirements are now required to isolate for 10 days, and will only be able to leave isolation in very limited circumstances. The same isolation requirements apply to all members of their household.
Following the review of the Joint Biosecurity Centre's assessments, these amendment regulations add Burundi, Rwanda and the United Arab Emirates to the so-called red list of countries. These requirements also apply to people who had already arrived in Wales from these countries, and members of their households, in the 10 days prior to the regulations being made on 29 January. New exceptions were also introduced to the ban on aircraft and vessels travelling directly from a red list country to Wales. Their arrival is now permitted in the following circumstances: aircraft landing for the purpose of refuelling or maintenance where no passengers board or disembark, air ambulances landing for the purpose of transporting a person for medical treatment, and vessels required to moor pursuant to a safety direction.
The latest general review of coronavirus restrictions in Wales took place on 28 January. They concluded, as you know, that the whole country should remain at alert level 4, the highest level of restrictions, for at least a further three weeks. Although we are seeing steady and encouraging falls across Wales, they remain too high to consider a widespread relaxation of restrictions. The second regulations being considered today, however, the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021, make small but important changes to the coronavirus restrictions in Wales following this latest review.
Two people from different households can now exercise together, although they should make every effort to maintain social distancing. People must still start and finish exercise from their own home, by foot or cycle, unless the person needs to travel for health reasons. We have also provided for a support bubble to be changed, provided that both households do not see any other households for a period of 10 days before forming the new bubble. Although this amendment recognises that people's circumstances change, guidance is still clear that changing bubbles should be a last resort. Finally, automatic car washes are now listed alongside petrol stations and garages as allowed to open, to help provide legal clarity. I ask Members to support these regulations, which continue to play an important part in adapting the coronavirus rules here in Wales to ensure that they remain both effective and proportionate. Thank you.

I call on the Chair of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee, Mick Antoniw.

Mick Antoniw AC: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I speak in respect of both sets of regulations; we considered these at our meeting yesterday.
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Restrictions) (Amendment) (No. 4) (Wales) Regulations 2021 amend the 2020 international travel regulations and the No. 5 restrictions regulations.Our report contains two merits points. The first point notes the Welsh Government's justification for any interference with human rights. Our report draws attention to the explanatory memorandum, which confirms that the amendments made by these regulations do not change the engagement, under the international travel regulations or the No. 5 restrictions regulations, of individual rights under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European convention on human rights. The second merits point is a familiar reporting point we make. We've noted that there's been no formal consultation on the regulations, but for reasons that Members will be aware of.
Turning now to the second set of regulations, the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021. These make changes to the No. 5 restrictions regulations, which are, of course, the principal regulations on coronavirus. In particular, as the Minister has said, they permit a person living in an alert level 4 area, which is currently the whole of Wales, to leave the place where they are living to exercise with one other person. They also permit people to form new extended households, subject to special conditions being met.
Our first two reporting points concern the Welsh Government's justification for any potential interference with human rights. As a consequence of these changes related to exercise and extended households, the explanatory memorandum provides a commentary on how these regulations reduce the extent to which the restrictions and requirements in the principal regulations interfere with individual rights. And our second reporting point again notes that there has been no formal consultation on the regulations.

Rhun ap Iorwerth AC: Taking both items 7 and 8 separately, the first on extending restrictions on international travel. I have no further comment to make on those, other than that the rationale underpinning these regulations is very sensible.
In terms of item 8, there are a number of changes here. I have no particular comment to make on the decision to allow automatic car washes to remain open. I am pleased that there is some flexibility allowed in forming extended households as long as a period of 10 days has passed between one bubble and the next. But, thirdly, I am very pleased that the Government has responded very positively to the appeal made my myself and others to consider all possible ways of encouraging outdoor activities for mental and physical well-being. People do, of course, need to keep a distance in doing that, but it is important that we do keep an overview of all the opportunities here, because as I say, we are bringing mental and physical well-being together through doing this, and I do think that this is a very sensible approach.

Thankyou. I call on the Minister to reply to the debate.

Vaughan Gething AC: Thank you. Once again, I'd like to thank the legislation and justice committee for their consideration of the regulations. I regularly find their scrutiny helpful in making sure the law is in good order and consistent to the aims and objectives that it has.
In terms of Rhun ap Iorwerth,I welcome his support for the measures and, in particular, the point he makes about encouraging people to undertake outdoor activities. As time is changing, I hope that more of us can undertake those activities in the future as well, as we continue to all play our part in helping to keep Wales safe. Thank you.

Thank you. The proposal is to agree the motion under item 7. Does any Member object? No, I don't see an objection. Therefore, the motion is agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

The proposal is to agree the motion under item 8. Does any Member object? Again, I don't see any objections. Therefore, the motion is agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

9. The Non-Domestic Rating (Multiplier) (Wales) Order 2021

Item 9 on our agenda is the Non-Domestic Rating (Multiplier) (Wales) Order 2021, and I call on the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd to move the motion. Rebecca Evans.

Motion NDM7588 Rebecca Evans
To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 27.5:
1. Approves The Non-Domestic Rating (Multiplier) (Wales) Order 2021 laid in the Table Office on 11 January 2021.

Motion moved.

Rebecca Evans AC: Diolch. I move the motion to approve the Non-Domestic Rating (Multiplier) (Wales) Order 2021. The Order sets the multiplier for non-domestic rating purposes for 2021-22. In 2017, the Welsh Government set out its intention to change the measure of inflation used to calculate the multiplier in Wales from the retail price index to the consumer price index from 1 April 2018, and this has been effected through annual Orders approved by this Senedd.
On 15 December, I announced the decision to move away from this position for 2021-22. Instead, the multiplier will be frozen. The Non-Domestic Rating (Multiplier) (Wales) Order 2021 has the effect of revoking the Non-Domestic Rating (Multiplier) (Wales) Order 2020, which applied the approach in place before 15 December of increasing by CPI. The Order needs to be approved before the vote on the local government finance reports on the final local government and police settlements for 2021-22, or before 1 March 2021, whichever is earlier.
The Non-Domestic Rating (Multiplier) (Wales) Order 2021 will set the multiplier so that it remains at the level set for 2020-21. The Order will result in there being no increase in the rates bills to be paid by businesses and other non-domestic property owners in 2021-22. Capping the multiplier by using the lower inflation measure of the CPI between 2018-19 and 2020-21, alongside freezing the multiplier in 2021-22, will result in rate payers in Wales saving over £90 million on their rate bills since 2018-19.
The Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 contains provisions to make a permanent change to the basis for increasing the multiplier from 1 April 2022. Our intention is to use CPI in future years. I'm grateful to the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for its consideration of the Order. Non-domestic rates policy is largely devolved. Freezing the multiplier prevents increases in rates bills that rate payers would otherwise face. This change will help businesses and other rate payers in Wales, particularly given the pressures that they've been facing, while maintaining a stable stream of tax revenue for local services. The change is fully funded by the Welsh Government, and there will be no impact on the funding provided for local services. I therefore ask Members to approve the Order today.

Thank you. I have no speakers in the debate, therefore the proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? I see no objections, therefore the motion is agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

10. Debate: The Draft Budget 2021-2022

The following amendments have been selected: amendment 1 in the name of Mark Isherwood, and amendment 4 in the name of Siân Gwenllian. In accordance with Standing Order 12.23(iii), amendments 2 and 3 tabled to the motion have not been selected.

Item 10 on our agenda this afternoon is a debate on the draft budget of 2021-2022, and I call on the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd to move the motion. Rebecca Evans.

Motion NDM7586 Rebecca Evans
To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 20.12:
Notes the Draft Budget for the financial year 2021-22 laid in the Table Office by the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd on 21 December 2020.

Motion moved.

Rebecca Evans AC: I am pleased to open this debate this afternoon on the Welsh Government's draft budget for 2021-22. Since we first had the opportunity to debate the draft budget in the Senedd, the Finance Committee and other Senedd committees have scrutinised our spending plans. Given the unprecedented circumstances we have faced, I would like to place on record my gratitude to the Finance Committee and the other committees for their co-operation in conducting scrutiny in a truncated period.
Before I provide early reflections on the key themes arising from scrutiny, I want to outline the latest assessment of the context shaping our budget preparations. While a 'no deal' outcome has been avoided, the agreement with the EU creates new trade barriers for Welsh businesses, a loss of rights for Welsh citizens and a smaller Welsh economy by up to 6 per cent over 10 to 15 years, according to independent experts. Alongside the pandemic, this results in a weaker economy and worsened fiscal prospects for Wales. We agree with both the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Monetary Fund that it is not appropriate to tighten fiscal policy in the short term, but the UK Government's approach on this and rebuilding public finances remains unclear. The climate emergency also continues to pose a significant challenge. While the Committee on Climate Change has noted significant costs will fall to the private sector, it is inevitable that there will be public spending implications.
The disappointing budget settlement from the UK Government's single-year spending round and broken promises on post-EU funding have also left us worse off next year, with the risk of eleventh-hour UK Government decisions continuing. I welcome the Finance Committee's recognition of the ongoing issues of the UK Government's chaotic approach to its budget timetable and the significant and unreasonable impacts that this has had on our own budget preparations.I also welcome the calls from the committee to the UK Government to grant us the necessary flexibilitiesto allow us to manage our budget in the most effective way for Wales.
It is hard to see a time when the need for these additional flexibilities would be greater, which has also been supported by independent calls for these flexibilities by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Wales Governance Centre. I will continue to press the UK Government to provide Wales with the fairness, flexibility and clarity we need, including on post-EU farm funding, the shared prosperity fund, flooding and coal-tip remediation. I will also not let this difficult context distract from our steadfast commitment to provide transparency to support meaningful scrutiny of our spending proposals. We will look to build on the additional steps we have taken this year to provide full transparency and to continue these measures into the year ahead. This includes providing an update at the earliest opportunity, following the UK Government's 3 March budget, which is the day after we publish our final budget. In this context, we're focused on where we can have the greatest impact, balancing the need to retain flexibility into next year. I am proud that we have maximised our available funding to protect what matters most, and pursue the change that is not just possible, but essential.
Our preparations have been guided by our eight reconstruction priorities, shaped by more than 2,000 public responses and leading Welsh and international experts. This ambitious plan focuses on our short-term priorities, alongside providing the foundations for our longer term recovery.
We are investing in employment and the labour market, including a £5.4 million boost for personal learning accounts to help workers on low incomes upskill and retrain. We're investing in our young people, disadvantaged groups, and in education, including the £176 million we are providing to local authorities, £8.3 million for curriculum reform, and £21.7 million for HE and FE demographic pressures. We're investing in housing with £40 million for the housing support grant to achieve our ambition of ending homelessness and £37 million of capital funding to support the building of affordable and sustainable homes. We're investing in town centres, including an additional £3 million to support our high streets and town and city centres, and £5 million to support our wider regeneration activities through our town centre loans programme. And we're investing in our climate, land and natural resources, building on the significant £140 million capital package we provided in 2020-21, including an additional £5 million for biodiversity and the national forest, and an extra £26.6 million for the circular economy to improve recycling in Wales and address social inequities. We're investing in working and travel, including an additional £20 million for active travel projects, and a total of £275 million in our rail and metro. We're investing in our foundational economy and Welsh businesses, including a further £3 million to provide a foundational economy fund to support the rapid spreading and scaling of good practice, and to provide jobs at the heart of our local communities. We're investing in our NHS, providing an additional £420 million for health and social services to support the NHS's growth and post-pandemic recovery.
I also welcome the Finance Committee's recognition of the positive steps we have taken on climate change and reforms to our budget and tax processes. Through our budget improvement plan, we have already outlined how we intend to take forward these reforms over the next five years, and I welcome the ongoing engagement on this important agenda. I was also pleased that the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales in her scrutiny has welcomed our continued commitment to combating climate change, our investment in town and city centre regeneration, and our investment in housing and homelessness. I look forward to continuing to work with the commissioner as we take forward our ambitious plans.
I welcome the committee's recognition of the importance of funding health and local government; as I've previously outlined, these are areas at the forefront of my considerations for COVID-19 funding at the final budget on 2 March. I am also considering the other areas raised by the committee; I and my Cabinet colleagues will respond formally to the recommendations of the Finance Committee report and other Senedd committee reports in advance of the vote on the final budget on 9 March.
So, to conclude: confronted with the most challenging circumstances we have faced since devolution, I am proud that this draft budget not only provides a solid foundation for the next administration, but protects, builds, and changes to deliver a more prosperous, more equal and greener Wales. Diolch.

The Llywydd (Elin Jones) took the Chair.

I do apologise; I was on mute. A year on, you would have thought I would have learnt that lesson. May I now call on Siân Gwenllian to speak on behalf of the Finance Committee? Siân Gwenllian.

Siân Gwenllian AC: Thank you very much, Llywydd. It's a pleasure to contribute to this important debate on behalf of the Finance Committee. It is of course the debate on the draft budget for 2021-22, and, of course, this will be the final draft budget of this Senedd, and, for the third consecutive year, it's been produced and scrutinised under exceptional circumstances. This year, the pandemic has led to delayed UK fiscal events, and that's resulted in delays to the Welsh Government's draft budget. In turn, this has reduced committee's time for scrutiny, and that's particularly concerning given that COVID-19 will have an impact on public spending for years to come.

Siân Gwenllian AC: This certainly is very much a draft budget. A lack of forward funding figures, with only a one-year revenue funding settlement, has made budget-setting work even more challenging. Additionally, the Welsh Government is holding significant unallocated reserves of around £800 million. The UK Government’s budget is set for 3 March 2021, meaning that the Welsh Government’s final budget will not be able to reflect its content, so we can be sure of significant changes to allocations during the year. Therefore, we recommend that the Minister outlines the implications of the UK budget as soon as practicable.
For some time, the committee has been concerned about the mechanism and transparency used by the UK Government to make funding decisions, with the Minister saying that the level of engagement at a ministerial level between the Treasury and the Welsh Government has been 'poor'. During 2020-21, large funding consequentials were made in-year. There have also been problems with the transparency of these consequentials and how they are calculated. This has resulted in the committee having limited information regarding additional funding and conflicting statements from the UK and Welsh Governments. We recommend the Welsh Government continues to seek commitments from the UK Government that UK fiscal events will normally take place by a specified date and that multi-year funding settlements will be reinstated in time for next year’s budget process.
The Minister told the committee how budgetary decision making has changed during the pandemic, with Ministers meeting frequently to address key issues as they arose. The committee welcomes the efforts that the Minister has made to manage the prioritisation process more centrally this year. However, we believe that the Welsh Government needs to have systems in place to ensure that when consequentials are received, it can prioritise and deliver funding quickly and effectively.
We welcome the approach taken this year, where changes to Welsh taxes have been made as part of the draft budget, given that tax changes are linked to spending commitments. This Senedd voted on three sets of tax regulations on 2 February. However, we believe it would be more prudent for the budget and tax resolutions to be considered at the same time.
There have been a number of challenges as a result of COVID-19 and the financial impact on health and social services has been significant. We welcome the uplift for health, which reflects the important role that the NHS plays in responding to the pandemic. The Minister has confirmed that nearly £700 million of the unallocated reserve is in relation to COVID-19 and that she does intend to make additional allocations between the draft and final budgets.
It is not clear how much resource has been identified for the pay rise for NHS staff and, as a result, what additional funding will be available to respond to the pandemic, as well as non-COVID services. We have recommended that the Welsh Government provides further information about how the additional £385 million funding for core NHS services will be used, including a breakdown to show how much has been set aside for the pay award for staff and other services.

Siân Gwenllian AC: We heard that there were significant workforce capacity issues before the pandemic and that the pandemic had exacerbated those problems. We are also concerned about the long-term impacts of the pandemic on non-COVID care. Whilst we expect that there will be an increase in non-COVID care over the next year, there will be sustained pressure on the NHS and healthcare workers because of the need to socially distance, and the fact that there will be reduced numbers of staff on wards, and this could be as big a challenge as COVID itself. We are also deeply concerned about the impact on NHS staff across Wales. We as a committee have recommended that the draft budget clarifies how allocations address the current issues faced by the NHS in terms of its staff numbers and capacity, as well as those issues that it is likely to face given the ongoingimpact of the pandemic on the workforce.
We also recommend that more investment is needed in staff and training to support NHS workers. It's essential that the vaccine roll-out continues at pace, and the committee welcomes the certainty of funding provided for the vaccination programme and for test, trace and protect. Given that funding for the vaccination programme is made up of a combination of Welsh and UK Government funding, the Welsh Government should provide further information that differentiates between the costs met by the UK Government and those provided for in the Welsh Government’s budget that provide for those programmes.
The impact of the pandemic on mental health will be considerable over the next year and beyond. We welcome the Minister’s view that mental health services will be a priority going forward. However, in tackling increased levels of mental health problems linked to the pandemic, we do believe that the Welsh Government must ensure that investment is made in preventative measures that consider the wider determinants of mental health, such as skills and employability, education, housing, access to green spaces and physical activity.
Local authorities are also under increased pressures and there will be difficult decisions that will have to be made. It is concerning to hear that the increased funding in the local government settlement will not cover all costs pressures, such as those on social care, childcare and education. It is also concerning to hear that providers of social care have said that the local authority hardship fund for 2020-21 was essential just to survive. The Welsh Local Government Association has welcomed the additional funding provided in the draft budget, which is £172 million, or an additional 3.8 per cent in overall core funding compared with last year. However, we are aware that WLGA leaders have written to the Minister for Housing and Local Government asking for a funding floor.
The committee is deeply concerned about the risks facing our children and young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those in the early years, of falling behind in their education as a result of the pandemic. The committee has recommended that the Welsh Government should clarify how funding for local government and education supports the current ways of learning, and how it provides sufficient resources to address the negative impact of the pandemic on education.
The economic disruption caused by the pandemic has been devastating. Given the path of the pandemic is still unknown, and with many businesses still not able to trade and uncertainty over how quickly business confidence will return, it seems sensible to allow some degree of flexibility within the draft budget. However, the committee believes that we could see more ambition from the Welsh Government in its reconstruction plan, and better support packages for businesses.
As well as the forecast employment impacts, the crisis could permanently alter the economy, with fundamental shifts in working patterns, behaviours and the labour market. The committee recommends that the Welsh Government considers whether existing regeneration programmes still represent best value, and considers the need to be more focused on supporting growth and investment in skills and employability, particularly in terms of encouraging a sustainable, green economy. Whilst it is likely that 2021-22 will still be dominated by responding to the pandemic, and clearly there will be much work for the next Welsh Government and the next Finance Committee to do, we are hopeful that we can shift the focus to recovery during the year.
To conclude, therefore, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed at all stages to the scrutiny process, through our consultations, surveys and polls. Every one of these has helped shape our findings. I look forward to the Welsh Government's response to our report. Thank you, Llywydd.

I have selected two amendments to the motion, but, in accordance with Standing Order 12.23(iii), amendments 2 and 3 were not selected. I therefore call on Mark Isherwood to move amendment 1, tabled in his name. Mark Isherwood.

Amendment 1—Mark Isherwood
Delete all and replace with:
To propose that the Senedd:
Believes that the Welsh Government's Draft Budget 2021-22 does not enable Wales to build back better and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amendment 1 moved.

Mark Isherwood AC: Diolch, Llywydd. Our amendment calls for this Senedd to acknowledge that the Welsh Government's draft budget for 2021-22 does not enable Wales to build back better and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The term 'build back better' recognises the need for a growth strategy in the wake of coronavirus that delivers jobs, skills and infrastructure in every corner of Wales and tackles the great unresolved challenges of the last three decades, including 22 years of devolved Labour Welsh Governments.As the Prime Minister stated, when he also announced the UK Government's intention to bring forward funding to accelerate infrastructure projects in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the UK Government will work with the devolved Governments to identify where we can get spades in the ground, build our communities and create jobs faster for citizens across the United Kingdom. It is therefore regrettable that the public rhetoric of this Labour Welsh Government has instead focused entirely negatively on reactionary buck-passing, attempting to demonise UK Government and blame it for all their own failings.
The pandemic has shone a spotlight on the failings of successive Labour Welsh Governments in managing our vital public services. In the year before the pandemic, NHS waiting times doubled in Wales, and Wales has retained the highest poverty rates and lowest pay of all the UK nations throughout devolution since 1999. Welsh Government spending has increased by 4.2 per cent to £22.3 billion, 83 per cent provided by the UK Government. Despite Welsh Government claims to the contrary, this month's Wales fiscal analysis by Cardiff University identified £655 million of COVID-19 funding, which the Welsh Government is yet to commit, rising to £760 million, including the pre-existing unallocated spending in its final budget plans.
As for local government, despite the impact of COVID-19, local authorities will receive a smaller increase in their settlements than this financial year. North Wales councils are again receiving a lower average increase than south Wales, and this Labour Government is once again refusing a funding floor to protect councils like Wrexham and Ceredigion, expected to cope with increases of just 2.3 per cent and 1.96 per cent respectively. As the leader of Monmouthshire council highlighted, it's important that the real pressures in local government are addressed and that the Welsh Government makes use of the
'significant consequentials from UK Government funding announcements, some of which remains to be allocated within the Welsh Government's budget.'
As the leader of Denbighshire council highlighted,
'there remain significant public service and financial challenges, particularly for those authorities who will receive a lower-than-average increase.'
The third sector and charities in Wales, at the forefront of Wales's response to the pandemic, saving millions for the public sector, have experienced a dramatic decline in income supporting vital services. As the Wales Council for Voluntary Action response to the Welsh Government's draft budget proposals states:
'The voluntary sector continues to require greater resource to respond to increasing demand on its services.... A thriving third sector has a vital role to play in the prevention agenda',
saving money, as well as improving lives,
'and coproduction of services must play a key part in this.'
Responding to this draft budget, the Federation of Small Businesses Wales identified uncertainty about where funding support for business would come from, described the roll-out of business support packages as 'patchy' and expressed concern that this draft budget does not provide enough support for self-employed people.
After I led the debate on palliative and end-of-life care last week, this health Minister announced £3 million extra to support hospices this financial year—welcome, but where is the rest of the extra funding received from the UK Government in consequence of increased funding for hospices in England? And what about next year?
The Welsh Government announced a belated £2.25 million for the National Library of Wales. But this is just a sticking plaster and will not prevent redundancies.
The Welsh Government mischievously claims that the UK Government reneged on promises about agriculture and rural development funding in Wales. The UK Government guaranteed the current annual budget to farmers in every year of this UK Parliament. When this commitment was made, total farm support provided for Welsh farmers was £337 million. For 2021-22, the UK Government has provided new funding on top of the remaining £97 million of EU funding, ensuring the Welsh Government can continue to provide Welsh farmers with £337 million of support next year, if they choose to.
Welsh Conservatives have called on the Welsh Labour-led Government to implement a recovery plan for Wales. It is, therefore, deeply concerning that this draft budget fails to provide the much-needed financial revolution required to deliver this.

I call on Rhun ap Iorwerth to move amendment 4, tabled in the name of Siân Gwenllian.

Amendment 4—Siân Gwenllian
Add as new point at end of motion:
Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that the unallocated fiscal resource in the draft 2021-22 budget is used in the final budget for 2021-22 to expand free school meal eligibility criteria to include all children in families in receipt of universal credit or equivalent benefit and any child in a family with no recourse to public funds.

Amendment 4moved.

Rhun ap Iorwerth AC: Thank you, Llywydd. These are very exceptional circumstances. The COVID pandemic has placed unprecedented pressure on public expenditure in Wales and, to add to the complexity in terms of dealing with that, the timing of UKGovernment announcements on allocations and on fiscal decisions makes it very difficult for the Welsh Government and ourselves as a Senedd to plan for the future, even for the next 12 months, never mind our aspiration to plan for the longer term.
We have a draft before us today. The final act of budgeting has become almost impossible. Add to that the lack of fiscal flexibility that we have, the ridiculous restrictions on the spending and borrowing powers, the lack of flexibility on the use of reserves. And in this regard, myself and the Minister do see eye to eye, as we have said in the Chamber and the virtual Chamber many times. But let's call this lack of flexibility for what it is: this is a clear example of the UK not working for Wales and working in a way that considers the needs of Wales.
This isn't a Plaid Cymru budget. It's the Labour Government budget. We believe that there are many priorities that have been left out and that's why we are unable to support it. There is a failure to support local government certainly. Yes, there is an uplift in the allocation, but not the kind of uplift that would take pressure off councils that have performed heroically over the past 12 monthsand have faced unprecedented pressures, and continue to do so. The reality is that the additional funding has already been subsumed before arriving at the councils. And put a floor in place for those councils who are seeing the least increase. There's been a missed opportunity here, without a doubt. There's a missed opportunity to take the pressure off local taxpayers too under these circumstances, and I do think that the case is strong for considering freezing council tax. The Scottish Government has done just that. It's not something that could be done lightly, of course—there's a cost to it. But we believe that the funding is in place to allow that, and these are the circumstances under which you should consider that. Of course, we need to think about much fairer ways of funding local government in the longer term. It's the poorest who pay the greatest proportion of their income on council tax.
And may I turn to our amendment specifically at this point? Again, it's targeted at helping the poorest in society. The pandemic has highlighted the inequalities within our society very clearly indeed. So, fund free school meals for all children in homes eligible for universal credit. There are substantial reserves remaining provided for dealing with this pandemic—that is unallocated funding. The Government's own action group on child poverty did emphasise that expanding free school meals would be one of the most effective actions that the Government could take in order to mitigate the impact of child poverty here in Wales. So, do take action.
The Conservatives, of course, say, 'Spend every penny of the unallocated funds, and do so tomorrow—do so immediately.' Now, I have no doubt that spending the money well is the priority, not spending it quickly. But, having said that, we do need to see that money flowing in order to help those businesses who truly need it, to help with the pressures on health and care services, and also to help the most vulnerable in our society.
I look forward to the post-election period, where I hope Plaid Cymru can commence a programme of investment of billions of pounds in rebuilding Wales, socially and economically, and not back to where we were prior to the pandemic, but to a level where we can be far more ambitious in what we try to achieve as a nation. But for you, now, given the restrictions on your ambition, Welsh Government, at least take that step that I've mentioned in targeting particularly the most vulnerable and particularly the most vulnerable children in society.

Mike Hedges.

Mike Hedges AC: Diolch, Llywydd—that came faster than I expected.
I would like to cover two areas: firstly, a general budget alternative; secondly, funding for the environment. Where I agree with the opposition: with the Conservatives, if we reduce the cost of the Senedd's Commission, then we'd have more money to spend on services; with Plaid Cymru, I support free school meals to those on benefits. I'm glad they've changed their policy away from free school meals for all pupils, which included those in private schools. Now all I need is a commitment to providing free meals for 52 weeks of the year, as the Welsh Government has done, not just term-time provision. I am looking for a positive response from the Welsh Government to look at the funding of free school meals for those people who are on benefits. I think it's something that needs to be looked at. Passing a resolution today may not be a positive way forward, but we need the Government to commit to looking at that and looking at how much it's going to cost and where the money is going to come from.
In three months' time, the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru, either individually or together, will be hoping to form a Government and set the first supplementary budget. Whilst they have both said how they want to spend money in different areas, where the money is going to come from and which areas are to be cut and which taxes raised remains a mystery. Please, can you publish your budgets, so that people can compare you with the Labour Government, not, 'We'll promise everybody everything because we hope that something will happen'? To help Plaid Cymru, local authorities can borrow prudentially using the prudential borrowing ability, which replaced supplementary credit approval. The key word is 'prudential', not 'borrowing'. Local authorities can borrow if they have the projected forward capacity to service their debts. Using local authorities' ability to borrow, there would need to be a long-term commitment to funding such borrowing, and that is judged by the chief financial officer, and that person alone, as prudential. Also, there's a cap on borrowing for all local authorities combined, except for the Treasury.
Can I just say—the environment is very important to everyone until it comes to budget time? A quick, simple and low-cost proposal is to support small-scale and community renewable energy projects. As part of the budget, we need, as requested by the climate change committee, the second low-carbon delivery plan to be accompanied by an assessment of its financial implications, including costs and benefits and an assessment of the carbon impact of each policy or intervention—also how the additional allocations to the Welsh Government energy service would be used, and if it is adequate and how it will contribute to a net-zero carbon public sector and increase locally owned renewable energy to 1 GW by 2020. Is there sufficient funding to deal with fuel poverty, both that which meets the definition and that which does not, because people are living in cold homes, unable to pay the cost of keeping even one room warm? There's a need for clarification of how much funding has been allocated in 2021-22 to deliver the actions set out in the clean air plan and is that sufficient.
An issue that concerns many of us is animal welfare. Is the level of funding provided for pilot projects to enhance capacity across local authorities' animal welfare inspections and enforcement services sufficient? Is it in the budget, or will local authorities be told it has already been provided as part of the aggregate external finance?
Turning to NRW, my view on the merger that created it is well known, and I will not repeat it. Is it adequately funded to carry out what I and many of my constituents feel are its most important environmental protection duties? We've got problems with the environmental agency dealing with pollution incidents, and, as a constituency Member, I deal with two things: sewage seeping in from a treatment plant into the River Tawe, which is, I'm told by the local angling club, fairly regularly, and also the burning of plastic off wire in the area, which—it seems to have no interest in it, Natural Resources Wales, whatsoever, whereas the old environment agency used to enforce it, and I think that things have gone massively backward. And if more sewage in the river and burning of plastic off wire and the resulting pollution has a low classification in the classification system in NRW, I'm not sure what has a high classification.
Can I just finish by saying something about local government? I think that one of the problems is we keep on talking about the percentage increase. We've got to look at how much local authorities have to spend, and some of that is the money they raise themselves from council tax; some of it is the money that they get from rents and other services that they provide. Now, councils like Swansea and Cardiff actually get quite a lot in in money they get from car parking in normal times—other authorities get a lot less. So, you need to look at the total funding of local authorities and a percentage increase—. Can I just say about Ceredigion, it might have had a very low increase, but it still gets above the top half of local authorities in aggregate external funding? So, if you're going to look at local government, you need to look at it as a whole, about local authorities' ability to raise money as well as what they get from the Welsh Government. So, I think that there's a big debate and a lot of discussion needed for this, and I hope we can do that at a future date.

Russell George AC: Thank you—I thank the Government, for bringing, obviously, this debate forward, but I'm happy to speak myself in terms of me as Chair of the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee. First of all, I would say—. I'm scrabbling to find my notes, as it happens. Apologies for that. There we are. Sorry, Presiding Officer. In terms of the work of the committee, we've obviously looked at the draft budget in detail, perhaps not in as much detail as we have in previous years, due to the other demands of the committee's work, but I'll comment, I think, largely in my contribution on issues around business support during the pandemic.
I'd say, from my perspective and the committee's perspective, generally, of course, we welcome the Welsh Government's commitment to ensure that those who are most likely to be adversely affected and impacted by the pandemic are given the greatest level of support. That's what the Welsh Government claims, and, of course, we as a committee would welcome that commitment, but what I would say and what the committee would say is that that needs to be maintained throughout any new support and through the recovery planning as well.

Russell George AC: I think the big concern for the committee and myself is the fact that all available budget for the pandemic in terms of business relief has not been drawn down, so it would seem—if I'm incorrect, the finance Minister can outline that. So, I would be interested to know and understand, if the Welsh Government is not drawing down all the money that's available to it in terms of business support, if that is correct, why that is the case. Because, clearly, I think the Government need to explain their approach in that regard. In terms of planning and drawing down funds as well, which could be used for further rounds of the economic resilience fund, or further rounds of that fund, I think it would also be helpful if the Government provided an explanation setting out how the Welsh Government will use this money, and ensuring that none of this money will be lost to Wales.
One of the recommendations we made was we asked that the Welsh Government should provide further details on the uptake of the sector-specific business support funding, which was launched the middle of last month, including details on the uptake, because we're interested in what the Government's expectations were and the action by Welsh Government to ensure that everyone who was eligible—every business that was eligible—to receive funding was aware of the scheme.
There's also a concern, I think, about maximising the take-up of business support as well, and certainly as a committee we thought that the Welsh Government should set out what robust evaluations there have been of the effectiveness of the Business Wales website and support services, to identify if there are any other further measures that are needed to help businesses understand the entire suite of business support on offer.
I think what was important is also to understand this point: the Welsh Government often states and repeats that they offer the best business support package across the UK. So, we have been offered by the Minister on a number of occasions to get some comparison information in terms of Welsh Government support versus support in other parts of the UK; we haven't received that to date, despite a couple of offers being made. Now, it would be useful to see that comparison. I do appreciate that there are going to be some elements of difficulty with that, because sometimes it's difficult to get like-for-like information, especially when support schemes start and finish at different times, but I think if it would give the businesses confidence that that's correct, I think that comparison needs to come forward. And certainly, from my own inbox, I hear of retail shops on the high street, cafes on the high street, hair and beauty salons, believing that if their business was situated somewhere else in the UK, they would have a higher level of support, because they'd be able to access additional funding. The Welsh Government only says, 'No, we've got discretionary funding, we've got the sector-specific funding', but often these types of businesses are not eligible because they're not on PAYE, they haven't got employees on PAYE, they're not VAT registered. So, there are a number of barriers that prevent businesses from obtaining some of these additional funds that the Welsh Government point to. And I certainly think—or we as a committee think—that the Government's got to look at that eligibility criteria again.
And when it comes to the discretionary fund that local authorities have ability to access, there's a question of how discretionary that actually is. Because local authorities seem to report back that, 'Well, actually, no, we haven't got the same level of discretion that—' or, 'We're concerned about using that because we're not sure whether we can claim back all those funds from Welsh Government.' So, is it truly a discretionary fund? Arethere some better criteria that can be given to local authorities to allow them to be more discretionary as well?
And the final point I would make is that I would be particularly interested in having that data from the Welsh Government in terms of business breakdown support, but also looking at the breakdown of the uptake by characteristic groups of people, if you like, in terms of uptake, whether they are small or large businesses, or women in business, because I think it's also important to have that data and compare that as well, and contrast that against other parts of the UK nations as well. Thank you, Presiding Officer.

Lynne Neagle AC: Each year, our committee considers how the Welsh Government's draft budget provides for the children and young people of Wales. Throughout this Senedd, we've called on the Welsh Government to provide clear information about how it has assessed the impact of its financial decisions on children and young people. This is not because we think Ministers should do this, it's because the duty of due regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child under the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011 requires them to assess the impact of their decisions on children's rights.
This year, our calls for children to be clearly visible in budget decisions are more essential than ever. The COVID pandemic has hit everyone hard, but there's no doubt that our children and young people have been particularly hard hit. Our children and young people are having to learn from home, they're not able to see their friends, they're facing disruption to their exams and assessments. We know this is nobody's fault, and we know that all of these things are happening to try and minimise the spread of COVID in Wales and to save lives, but we know too that this has taken its toll on them and we need to do all we can to minimise that. How we spend our money has a key role to play, and it is on that basis that a number of our recommendations this year relate to the financial decisions we think must be taken in light of the impact of COVID-19.
Firstly, we note that over £800 million remains unallocated in the draft budget. We know that much of this is likely to be used to mitigate the impact of COVID. Our report is clear that children and young people's rights and needs must be a key consideration for all Welsh Government Ministers when decisions are made about how this money is allocated. As a committee, we expect to see this consideration demonstrated clearly and transparently when these decisions are made. Furthermore, given the unprecedented circumstances in which we find ourselves, we have recommended that Welsh Government should provide regular and detailed updates to the Senedd and relevant committees on in-year allocations during the financial year 2021-22. We think this is essential in order to ensure that our children and young people are prioritised in the way they should be.
Turning now to money that has already been allocated to support children and young people, we welcome the spend to date on the recruit, recover and raising standards programme, and the allocations for it in the next financial year. This funding is crucial and we must ensure it delivers its intended impact. Given its importance, we have asked for more detail on how the recruit, recover and raising standards money has been used so far. We've also called for such data to be published on an ongoing basis. This is to ensure that our children's return to education remains a priority for Government investment over the years ahead. It is vital that we make sure that the money going in delivers the intended outcomes for children and young people.
We know that it's not only school-age children who are suffering because of COVID. Our young people in further and higher education and training have also been at the sharp end of this pandemic. We welcome the recent announcement of £40 million to provide for students who are in hardship, and we've asked for more information on how it will be used.
Our report touches on a number of other very important areas, not least the allocations in place for funding health and social care support for children and young people. Mental health and well-being have been a top priority for our committee during this Senedd. I'm pleased to see that our sustained calls for improvement are bearing fruit in terms of financial allocations. However, we remain concerned that following the money as it relates to children and young people's health is an enormous challenge. This is a particular worry for us in the context of COVID.
Our concerns about the impact of the pandemic on routine healthcare for children is documented clearly in our report. The Minister for health described a big backlog in routine NHS services and recognised the impact this is likely to have on children and young people. On that basis, we call on Welsh Government to ensure that children and young people's routine health needs are fully considered alongside those of adults. The Government must make sure that children and young people get their fair share of funding when spending plans to address backlogs are revealed. We are clear that a children's rights impact assessment should be published alongside this plan and that transparent information about what has been allocated to services for children and young people specifically must be provided.
In closing, Llywydd, I'd like to refer to the children and communities grant. Two years ago, our committee expressed concern about the amalgamation of a range of grants directly relating to children. Two years on, we remain disappointed and concerned by the lack of transparency about spending on children since this change was made. At over £138 million, it is not an insignificant sum of money. We remain unclear about how value for money and outcomes for some of our most disadvantaged children are monitored, and have asked for additional information to reassure the committee about this important area. Thank you very much.

Dai Lloyd AC: It's inevitable that the draft budget and our scrutiny of it have been shaped by the pandemic, as others have already mentioned, and this is a pandemic that changes very rapidly. We need to realise the magnitude of the public health emergency facing Wales, either in terms of responding to the immediate challenges or the need to do what we can do to maintain and restore those vital services that people depend on. And in that respect, I'm talking about non-COVID services. We believe that the true scale of the implications for the health, social care and sport sectors will not become fully clear for some years. In addition to this, the crisis has also exacerbated some underlying issues, including health inequalities.
We recognise in particular the pressure that local health boards have faced over the last year, and we understand that this is likely to continue. Nevertheless, the ongoing inability of some health boards to meet their statutory financial duties continues to be a concern. In addition to this, we are not yet persuaded that there is sufficient capacity within the system to drive health and social care integration and transformation at the pace and scale required, or that the strategic vision for such transformation is sufficient to achieve and maintain the focus on a shift towards primary care and prevention.
We also remain concerned about the ongoing fragility of social care services. Such services are not only vital to those in receipt of them, but they're also essential in the way that they complement and partner health services. We are convinced that there is grave need to reform the system and to develop sustainable and long-term funding settlements for social care.
I would like to take this opportunity to recognise the hard work and commitment of staff across the health and social care sectors. It's important to realise how much pressure they have faced and continue to face, and the trauma that they've experienced over the past few months. We welcome the plans for ongoing mental health support for 60,000 healthcare workers in Wales, and the planned expansion to include social care staff. The impact of the pandemic on individuals and services will need to be taken into account in workforce planning and resource planning as we move towards recovery in Wales.
In addition to the paid health and social care workforce, hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers across Wales have played, and continue to play, a crucial role in providing much needed care and support to their families and friends. We value the support that the third sector provides to carers, but we believe that they must be adequately supported via sustainable core local authority services and funding. Throughout this year, the Welsh Government has rightly invested significant sums in responding to the public health emergency. The course of the pandemic in Wales remains uncertain, but it is clear that health, social care and sports are likely to need additional funding in the next financial year.
To conclude, there will be difficult choices to be made as to how we prioritise limited resources. We expect the Welsh Government to be proactive in its planning and in engaging with its partners to identify any potential additional needs, and to consider how resources may be allocated and prioritised to respond to the pandemic to support the longer term recovery of the health, social care and sports sectors, and to invest in the health and well-being of the people of Wales.

Alun Davies AC: I'm grateful to the Minister for the contribution in opening this debate. There are three issues that I'd like to cover in this contribution this afternoon: the structure of our finances, and then income and expenditure.
Let's look at the structure first. The Finance Committee is very clear in its report that the way in which the budget is structured and the context within which the budget is taking place this year is unsatisfactory, and I agree with that in that report. This situation is not necessarily the fault of either the Minister or the Government; we recognise that. But 20 years after devolution, all of our Governments across the United Kingdom rely too much on the whims and wants of the UK Treasury. There are many failures that the First Minister has outlined on a number of occasions in recent weeks where the United Kingdom state fails to deal with the realities of devolution. The mess that is public finances across the UK has to be one of the most significant, and I do hope that when we come back to debate these matters in the next Senedd—that is a matter that we will need to be able to address with the UK Government.
The second structural issue was addressed by Siân Gwenllian in her contributions as interim Chair of the Finance Committee, and that is that too much of this budget is unallocated, and that makes scrutiny and proper democratic accountability for expenditure very difficult, and far more difficult than it should be. On this occasion, I think the Government should be forgiven for this situation, because we are in a very fluid situation, we are facing very difficult decisions, and none of us knows what the situation is going to be in six months' time. But what I will say to the Government is that this acceptance of that shouldn't be seen as a precedent, and that in future years, I think it's absolutely right and proper that the Government goes back to a situation where we've got open transparency in making these budgetary proposals.
The second issue is that of income. I laud the Government's ambitions and I share their ambitions. I want to see the Government invest more in our people, I want to see the Government invest in our environment and our places, but I'm concerned that we don't have the firepower to do so. If I'm absolutely frank with you, Minister, it's not good enough to spend day after day attacking the Tories for austerity and then actually delivering it in reality in Wales. And that's the reality we face in real terms. We have got to invest either in our tax base or we have to invest in broadening and deepening that tax base. I'm not sure that this budget does much of any of those three, if I'm absolutely frank with you.
We cannot deliver on the ambitions that we have with the funding that is available to us, and we need to be able to address that. And that's particularly true at the moment, not simply because of the pandemic and the impact of the pandemic—although that is a big driver—but it's also true because of the betrayals that we've seen from the UK Government on agricultural funding and on structural funds. They have told direct lies to the people of Wales, and they have not delivered on the promises that were made. That's a real problem for us, because we've got to pick up the pieces and I'm not convinced that we have the firepower to do it.
My final point is this, Minister, on expenditure. I hope when the Government comes back for later debates on these matters they will address these fundamental issues. I agreed with what Mike Hedges said on free school meals. I think the Plaid Cymru amendment this afternoon is broadly right, and I think that the Government needs to address this. The Government's on the wrong side of this argument. I hope that the Government will recognise that and I hope that the Government will, in returning to the Chamber, recognise that its position is neither sustainable nor credible on that particular matter.
But also, we need to invest in places that are suffering disproportionately at the moment, and that is places like Blaenau Gwent, it's places like the Heads of the Valleys, it's some of our poorest people, wherever they may live, and the budget needs to recognise that. It needs to recognise that we can only achieve our ambitions and our visions, which we all agree with and we all share, if we invest in those places that are furthest away from that vision and that ambition. I represent one of those places, and it simply is not credible to say to those people, and the people that we all seek to represent, 'Do you know what? We can deliver on all these different things, and it's not going to cost you an extra penny.' That is not credible. It's never been credible. It hasn't been credible in the past, it's not credible today, and it won't be credible in the future, and I think we've got to do that.
My final point is: let's not go into another budget round saying that the structure of the public sector in Wales can deliver on any of these things. It can't. it simply cannot. We don't have the structures in place to do it, so we need a reforming budget as well as a budget that invests in people, places, the environment and the future. I hope that, as we go through this debate over the coming weeks, we will be able to address all of those different things. Thank you very much.

Bethan Sayed AC: I just have a few comments in relation to the committee scrutiny on behalf of culture and the Welsh language. [Inaudible.]—the funding to support the implementation of some key recommendations highlighted in the tailored review carried out last year, and the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee has been highlighting the need for increased funding for the national library and museum during the—[Inaudible.]

I'm going to stop you there, Bethan. I'll call you later. Let's see if you can get a more stable broadband line. I'll come back to you. We were having a bit of trouble understanding you. I'll ask some of our IT operators to talk to you about how that can be improved. Anyway, we'll hopefully be able to come back to you. Neil Hamilton.

Neil Hamilton AC: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I fully agree with the indictment that we just heard from Alun Davies of both the Welsh Government and, indeed, the United Kingdom Government for the limitations that we are faced with in this debate. It's a bit like a debate about moving the deckchairs on the Titanic as the Welsh economy hurtles towards the iceberg, and that's for two reasons. First of all, the Government's budget is of course restrained by the restrictions imposed by the UK Government, but also because health and education gobble up by far the lion's share of the total budget in Wales, more than 75 per cent, so there is a limit to the discretionary expenditure that the Government has at its disposal, which we can debate this afternoon.
The fundamental reality after 20 years of Labour Government is that Wales is not only older and sicker than other parts of the United Kingdom, but it is also poorer. We're at the bottom of the income tables of the UK for raising revenue in order to pay for the public services that are delivered—at less than £10,000 per head, compared with nearly £20,000 per head in London. As Adam Price pointed out in First Minister's questions this afternoon, the Welsh Government had a noble ambition to end fuel poverty by 2018 and end child poverty by 2020, and in both of those it has spectacularly failed.
On the one hand the budget is too small to pay for public services that we all want in Wales, and secondly, the Welsh Government lacks the tax and policy levers in so many areas that are required to make a real difference to the size of the economy, as Alun Davies pointed out. It's either that we have to raise more in taxes or we have to grow the economy, and the Welsh Government finds it very, very difficult to do either. Within the last year or so, the Welsh Government has had to write off nearly £500 million of NHS debts that have been run up since 2013, otherwise the health service would have been in an even worse state than it is now.
In other respects also, the Welsh Government does have levers of power that it insists on using in a way that is counterproductive from its own perspective in terms of improving the economy and increasing the well-being of the people of Wales. For example, in respect of environmental policy—green policy on renewable energy, et cetera—the effect of its policy is that it's using its powers to damage businesses and further impoverish the poor whilst pouring cash into the pockets of millionaire developers, who are invariably based in England. And meanwhile, the poorer of Wales in places like Blaenau Gwent have to pay exaggerated electricity bills in order to keep warm in the winter. Now, an average of £200 per household on everybody's electricity bill is accounted for by green taxes and charges.
I think what this debate illustrates is that the halfway house of devolution simply doesn't work, and I believe it can't work because public expenditure being constrained by the UK Treasury is never going to be a workable answer to Wales's problems. On the one hand, Westminster won't give Wales more cash. Why would a Tory Government in Westminster ever want to give a Labour Government in Cardiff more cash? Well, the answer is it won't. When we had a Labour Government in Westminster, that didn't see anything change very much either. The Barnett formula remains as it was in 1978 and Wales is institutionally disadvantaged by that.
On the other hand, independence is, I believe, a fiscal fantasy. The fiscal gap in Wales—the difference between what Wales raises or can raise in taxes and what the Government actually spends at all levels in Wales—is 25 per cent of Wales's national income, £4,300 per head. If we did have independence, that would immediately see either a collapse of Government spending in Wales or massive increases in taxation, although Rhun ap Iorwerth a moment ago was inveighing against the iniquity of the UK Government imposing borrowing restrictions on the Welsh Government. Well, I know that he has an insatiable appetite for English taxpayers' money, but I don't think the English taxpayer would be prepared to indulge him. So, the reality is that independence of Wales is bound to lead to that kind of squeeze that I've just mentioned.
On the other hand, the Welsh Government does seem to have plenty of money, in some respects, to waste. We know we spent £114 million on the M4 inquiry around Newport, although the First Minister said he would have vetoed the decision to have the M4 improvements whatever the inquiry had said. And—

You'll need to bring your comments to a close now. You're out of time.

Neil Hamilton AC: In so many other areas as well, the Welsh Government has been devoting itself to the destruction of the wealth-producing economy in Wales, just as the UK Government has on the other side of the border as well. The COVID pandemic has just exacerbated the squeeze.But that's as nothing—I'll just finish with this last remark, Llywydd—to the squeeze that is to come, because you ain't seen nothing yet if you look back over the austerity policies that are criticised by the Welsh Government in recent years. We are only at the beginning of a massive squeeze on the economy, which will make all our problems very much worse because of the COVID restrictions.

Jenny Rathbone AC: I'd like to start by congratulating Rebecca Evans on managing to produce a budget that keeps the wheels turning on the health service and our economy in the middle of a pandemic. That is no small achievement. Just by listening to what everybody else has said, there's no part of Welsh society unaffected by the pandemic. So, the demands on the public purse are assaulting her on all sides, and it's fantastic that despite all that, she still has managed to carve out areas of the budget to ensure that we are moving forward on making for a fairer and greener society here in Wales. But there's an enormous amount to be done.

Jenny Rathbone AC: I welcome very much the commitment that Rebecca has given to ensure that all free-school-meal children, in term time and in the holidays, are getting one meal a day, right up to Easter next year. This is a hugely complex issue, and it's much more than about that one meal a day. The importance, for example, of the Food and Fun programme isn't just the quality meals lovingly produced by the staff, who have a commitment to good food for all. It is the fact that the children are given the tools to know what is good for them, to help them grow strong and fit, and helps to protect them from the blast of the multinational companies who advertise things that encourage children to eat stuff that is going to kill them, or at least reduce their quality of life when they get older.
My long-term aspiration is universal free school meals for all primary school children, delivered to Food for Life accreditation standards, as determined by the Soil Association. Some local authorities in England still manage to do that, despite the hammering that councils and areas of deprivation have had by the deliberate policy of reallocating large slices of their budget to better-off, leafier parts of the country, which, as Neil Hamilton points out, happen to also be Tory-voting areas, or so they think.
I am a realist, however. We need to source a far bigger slice of the ingredients of our school meals before we can afford to deliver on that aspiration, so I welcome the extra £3 million for the foundational economy, which goes some way towards that need, but it's a long way off from where we need to be. We simply cannot afford to see the leakage from public expenditure going to companies outside Wales on the scale that currently happens. We must keep going with mainstreaming the foundational economy pilots that have proved their worth, in order to have the circular economy and the local food networks we need.
Whilst I welcome Plaid's conversion to the importance of food for children, I do not welcome the Plaid attack dogs denouncing me for somehow being responsible for children going hungry. This is way more complicated than ensuring that more children are eating a decent meal once a day. It's a cultural issue as much as an economic one. Italy would never allow the quality of food that some of our children are getting to be delivered to us, and we need to address that.
We have to listen to the fact that in the last financial year, 20 per cent—20 per cent, one in five—of our children entitled to free school meals did not take up that entitlement. Just because there's been a big increase in the numbers getting free school meals, it doesn't mean that we have in any way dented that one in five children who do not get what they're entitled to. It's much more complicated than that.
One of the issues is the way in which the benefits system works, and the fact that there's been no increase in the housing allowance means that there's a huge shortfall in what many of my constituents have to pay when they're living in private rented accommodation. And guess where that shortfall in what the housing allowance is prepared to pay and what they actually have to pay to keep a roof over their head—where does that money come from? That money comes from what they should be spending on food. So, I absolutely think that one of the most important things that this Government budget is committing us to is the building of more affordable, fully insulated homes, using the latest timber-framed, pre-constructed technology. That is one of the ways in which people who simply cannot afford to be living in this badly maintained private accommodation are going to be helped out of poverty.
There are other ways in which we can help poor families in the here and now as well: £20 million for active travel. Just imagine the freedom giving a child a bicycle to get to school gives them; they can arrive on time and leave when they've finished having all the enrichment activities, and also not needing to travel by school transport in a time of the pandemic. These are some of the things that we need to be thinking about. We have to have a much more preventative approach to all the aspects of our budget to ensure that we have a fitter, healthier, living longer and to a better standard of living for all our citizens.

And we'll try Bethan Sayed once again. Bethan Sayed.

Bethan Sayed AC: Sorry about that. I hope it's working now.

Bethan Sayed AC: I think it would be remiss of me, as Chair of the culture committee, not to put on record some of our thoughts about what has been happening recently with the National Library of Wales. We welcome the announcement of funding to support the implementation of some key recommendations highlighted in the tailored review carried out last year, but our committee has been asking for the last four years for support for the national library and for the museum, at every possible opportunity.
The Deputy Minister came to our meeting on 14 January and we discussed the fact that the tailored review recommended that the Welsh Government should review the national library's funding requirements because the panel did not, and I quote, 'consider the current situation to be sustainable'. So, we were told that the Government would continue to work really closely with the national library to see where efficiencies can be made and where they can try and come in on the budget, but that it is extremely challenging. And we have gone from 'extremely challenging' to announcing £2.25 million to meet immediate operational difficulties and funding shortfalls to protect jobs and ensure the longer term sustainability of our national bodies in fewer than three weeks. Well, the committee has been pressing the Government to release the funding so badly needed and give worried employees at the library the reassurance that they will not face compulsory redundancy. Yet, when funding was announced, we were left out of the picture, and we found out via the press, just as, I think, everybody else did, with regard to that additional funding. The Deputy Minister's statement says,
'We have been in continuous contact with the library and with Amgueddfa Cymru for quite some time'.
What prevented him from discussing with us as a committee to give us some respect prior to that particular announcement? If the money is intended to protect jobs, does that mean that all talk of potential redundancies at the library is over? Can you confirm this as a Government or not?
We know that funding for the arts will come to an end in March. We want to know if that funding, for individuals especially, will continue post March, or is that Treasury dependent? It's vital that not only organisations are supported, but also individuals in the arts who have struggled during this time.

Bethan Sayed AC: A few comments on the Welsh language. We know that a number of organisations are struggling at the moment—the Eisteddfod, the Urdd and so on—and we asked the Minister with responsibility for the Welsh language if she was going to appeal into the broader COVID pot for funding in this area. She said that it was an option, but we didn't hear if that was actually going to happen. We know that some of the major events such as the Eisteddfod cannot take place, so we would urge the Minister to look at what kind of additional funding could be provided to these organisations.
And to turn to the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, they've told us that they want £800,000 in addition this year and then more to follow in ensuing years, because they do want to put strategies in place for Welsh-medium FE. They say that they need more funding in this area in order to take action. Is the Minister for the Welsh language going to ensure that she has those necessary discussions with the education Minister to ensure that this area can prosper and develop for the future?
And a final remark, I think everyone wants to see more teachers teaching through the medium of Welsh, but we have seen the numbers not developing as quickly as we would've wanted to see in terms of recruitment. We have asked the Minister for her strategy in this area to try and help her along the way. But we want to see whether there is a will in this area to ensure that the 2050 project is successful, and we need to recruit more Welsh-medium teachers so that that strategy can succeed. Thank you very much.

Another committee Chair who had broadband problems, I think, has reappeared—John Griffiths.

John Griffiths AC: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I'm speaking today in my capacity as Chair of the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee, and we published our report on the draft budget last week.
When I spoke last year in the draft budget debate, or rather when I last spoke on this draft budget for this financial year, I focused on the importance of the budget allocations to the housing support grant and the homelessness prevention budget line. And I'm sure Members will not be surprised to hear that I will say much the same today in relation to this debate.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant pressures on homelessness and housing services. We applaud the excellent work done at the start of the pandemic to place rough sleepers and others in need of a home into the temporary accommodation that we're all familiar with. But challenges, of course, having arisen as a result of the pandemic, must now be sustained in terms of the responses. And the importance of a secure home, and how quickly improvements can be achieved with dedicated focus and resources, I think, has been demonstrated in the response to rough-sleeping during this pandemic. But we have to sustain that progress and make sure that it is not lost in the future.
So, we're particularly concerned about the temporary nature of development funding that has been provided and the uncertainty that it brings for the longer term sustainability of services. The Minister for Housing and Local Government told us that the additional funding in the draft budget will enable emergency accommodation and support through to the early part of the next financial year. We do not believe that this will provide the necessary long-term certainty for those delivering and accessing these services.
The improvements that have been achieved in rehousing people into permanent accommodation must continue to be built upon, if homelessness is to be eradicated or as near to eradicated as can be achieved. We have, therefore, recommended that allocating additional resources to tackle homelessness should be a priority for the Welsh Government in the final budget.
Another aspect that has seen a big increase in demand is the council tax reduction scheme. There has been a significant reduction in the council tax collection rate, as a result of people seeing their income decrease suddenly or cease altogether. Councils have seen other income sources disappear during the pandemic. So, council tax revenue is even more important to fund services. The importance of the reduction scheme to assist people on lower incomes has never been greater, whilst local authorities need to be compensated for the impact of the increased demand for benefit on their revenue collection.
We welcome the commitment from the Minister for Finance to review the allocation for the council tax reduction scheme ahead of the final budget, and have recommended that this should be a priority area for additional resource. And the work on the impact of the pandemic has demonstrated that those on lower incomes are more adversely affected. Therefore, further action to mitigate these inequalities must be a priority for Welsh Government. Diolch, Llywydd.

The Minister for Finance to reply to the debate, Rebecca Evans.

Rebecca Evans AC: Diolch, Llywydd. Thank you very much to all colleagues for their contributions to the debate this evening. It's been useful to hear from all colleagues, and I will definitely be mindful of those comments as we move towards the final budget, as will my ministerial colleagues, who I know have been listening to the debate as well.
Quite a significant number of the comments related to in-year spend and our current efforts to tackle the pandemic. I will be publishing the third supplementary budget very shortly, and colleagues will have the opportunity to scrutinise and debate that. So, I'll reserve my comments on in-year spending and in-year allocations until we have that debate, although I did want to just respond to the one comment, which was made in respect of funding for business. And I do want to confirm that Welsh Government has actually spent more on business support here in Wales than we have received in consequentials from the UK Government, and that's how we've been able to provide the most generous possible settlement for businesses anywhere in the UK.
So, just to give some context as to where we are at the moment, the revenue budget for 2021-22 will increase by £694 million, and that's an increase of 4.6 per cent in cash terms, but that also means that our core budget per person is actually 3 per cent lower in real terms than it was in 2010-11. So, I think that does demonstrate the constraintsthat we're still operating under. In addition, there's the £766 million of additional COVID-related funding, and that is much less than the £5.2 billion of funding that we've been allocated this year. So, I think that also should focus our minds, in terms of how we're able to allocate that funding prudently for next year.

Rebecca Evans AC: We haven't had much discussion in this debate, but we have had lots of scrutiny on our capital settlement, and it's worth recognising there that we have had an increase of £60 million to our general capital budget, but also a reduction of £191 million of financial transactions capital. So, overall, our capital funding is down in 2021-22 by £131 million. So, I think that that also demonstrates some of the challenges that we will be facing going ahead.
The Conservative spokesperson said that the pandemic has shone a spotlight on devolution. Well, I'd certainly agree with him in that part, and, certainly, it's the first time that many Whitehall Ministers have noticed devolution. And frankly, they don't like it, because they see decisions being taken in Wales in the best interest of the people of Wales, and that includes the financial decisions that we have been making throughout this pandemic. The pandemic has also shone a spotlight, of course, on the UK Government, and many have commented that they've observed a level of cronyism that they're very uncomfortable with, and it's shone a spotlight on waste by the UK Government also. So, I think that it has been instructive in that sense—to have that spotlight shone on both the devolved Governments and also the UK Government.
And it was particularly galling to hear from the Conservative spokesperson about his concerns about the farming community and his suggestion that Wales hasn't been let down by the UK Government, because, of course, we have. Farmers and our rural communities in Wales are left short changed by £137 million as a result of the UK Government's decisions. On 27 November, I wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to ask him for a review of the pillar transfer, requesting that the farm funding of £42 million is returned to Wales. It's February, and I still haven't had a formal response to that request, which I understand will now be reflected in the UK Government's supplementary estimates. But I do understand that that request for that £42 million to be returned to us has been declined, which is extremely disappointing. If the UK Government had replaced EU funding in full, Wales would have been better placed to invest in our domestic rural development programme. It's a shame that the UK Government hasn't taken the opportunity to deliver on the promises that it made to rural Wales.
There were lots of comments with regard to local government and the local government settlement. Local authorities again this year have received a good settlement. It's the best settlement that we were able to provide—an increase of £176 million. That's an average increase of 3.8 per cent, and we continue to work with local authorities and Audit Wales to monitor the stability of the sector and individual authorities. Whilst the majority of our funding to local government goes through the hypothecated grant, local authorities also benefit from around £1 billion of support for local services through grants, and I think that that's important to recognise. Local authorities and the WLGA have welcomed the settlement, and I think that we need to recognise that. But equally, I always want to recognise the fact that local authorities are still under a great deal of pressure, and there's absolutely no getting away from that. Two years of good settlements I don't think make up for the decade of austerity that has hit local authorities hard.
I do want to address the serious issues that colleagues have, across the Chamber, commented on with regard to free school meals. I do think it's important to recognise that the Welsh Government has demonstrated its commitment to free school meals by becoming the first nation in the UK to guarantee support right throughout the holidays in April 2020, and then we became the first Government to extend this support all the way through to Easter 2022. I hope that those colleagues who have talked on this issue today will be supporting our budget when we come to the final budget, giving colleagues the opportunity to demonstrate their support for that. Building on the £50 million already announced so far this year, the additional £23.3 million is reflected in the budget to continue the support through the school holidays. I will say that it's important that we do continue to explore all of the options available to us and seek to build on the action that we've already taken, but I do recognise also that it has to be within the context of the budgetary constraints that we're under.

Rebecca Evans AC: I'm always very happy to engage with and continue discussions with anybody who has an interest in aspects of the budget, but I think it's really important that we are clear about what's being asked. Finding additional funding from the COVID-related consequentials might be one option that is talked about, but I do think that we need to reflect on the fact that £766 million was allocated for COVID next year, as compared to £5.2 billion this year. So, what are the trade-offs? Are we talking about less funding for the NHS's response to COVID? Are we considering giving less money to local authorities for their efforts in terms of supporting communities through the pandemic? These are the serious decisions and serious choices that we have to make when we're calling for additional funding for parts of the budget. And, equally, would a suggestion be to look for further funding from the unallocated contingency? We normally go into a financial year with about £100 million of contingency, and that tiny amount of money is there to help us manage pressures that emerge right across the whole financial year. And, when you think of £100 million of contingency to help you manage a £20 billion budget, I think that we can all genuinely reflect on the challenges there. And, of course, other options would be about cutting from the budget, and I think that we need to have serious conversations about where additional calls for funding would be met from.
Over the past weeks and months, I've heard Plaid Cymru in particular call for spending that would result in hundreds of millions, or billions, of pounds of additional funding. So, as to the item that is reflected in the amendment today, and then £100 million for a council-tax freeze next year, free childcare for all children aged from birth to four, the weekly Welsh child payment of £34 a week and social care free at the point of use, we're talking about hundreds of millions or even, potentially, billions of pounds, and I just think it's important that, when we do come forward with ideas—and I think that it's wonderful that we do come forward with ideas—we have to be genuine in doing so by demonstrating how those things would be paid for.
Colleagues have expressed some particular interest in mental health during the debate, and I did want to comment just briefly on that and also on social care, because those are areas where I know there's particular interest. The budget does provide an additional £20 million of additional funding for mental health support across a range of areas, including increased support for front-line non-clinical services, all-age crisis support, memory assessment services, and support for the mental health clinical pathway, through the 111 telephone service. And there's additional funding in the budget to support the roll-out of CAMHS in-reach across Wales, and that builds on the additional funding that is provided in this financial year and £5.4 million additional funding for the NHS child and adolescent mental health services for tier 4 and community intensive teams. Again, really important investment in light of the pandemic. And there's an additional £13 million to the NHS growth funding to support an increase in mental health services. So, all of those things will be really important in our budget next year.
And then, on social care, we're also allocating £15.5 million of support for social care, which includes increasing the social care workforce grant by £10 million to £50 million, and allocating additional funding through the third sector grants and investing through Social Care Wales. So, we've prioritised both mental health services and social care, just bearing in mind how important both of those things will be in terms of supporting people with the recovery.
And then, just a couple of comments on my approach now to the final budget. Obviously, I'll be reflecting on the debate that we've had today. Colleagues will also be considering all of the committee reports and the recommendations that committees have made. I've already indicated that I would be looking to make some additional allocations from that unallocated COVID funding, particularly in respect of the NHS and local authorities, and I'm very interested to see what more we can do in the area of apprenticeships as well, given the fact that, as a number of colleagues have recognised, jobs and skills will be absolutely crucial in terms of our emergence from the pandemic and into the recovery period ahead. So, again, I'm grateful to all colleagues for all their comments, and I look forward to reflecting on them with colleagues in the Cabinet.

The proposal is to agree amendment 1. Does any Member object? [Objection.] Yes, there is an objection. We will therefore defer voting on this item until voting time.

Voting deferred until voting time.

11. Debate: The Programme for Government Annual Report and Legislative Programme

The following amendments have been selected: amendments 1, 2 and 3 in the name of Mark Isherwood.

That brings us to our final item, which is the debate on the programme for government annual report and legislative programme. I call on the First Minister to move the motion—Mark Drakeford.

Motion NDM7587 Rebecca Evans
To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 11.21(ii):
Notes:
a) the Welsh Government Annual Report 2020;
b) the Legislative programme.

Motion moved.

Mark Drakeford AC: [Anghlywadwy.]

If I could just stop you, First Minister, as I can't hear you. Do try again. We seem to have unmuted the First Minister, but will you check if there is a hard mute? I'm sure it's a minor technical issue, but we will take a very brief break whilst we reconnect with the First Minister. A short break—

Mark Drakeford AC: I'll try once again.

Yes, we'll do that. That seems to be working. Do proceed.

Mark Drakeford AC: Llywydd, diolch yn fawr. A little over a week ago, we published the final annual report of this Government term, setting out the progress made in the last year and over this period of Government. By any measure, this has been a remarkable five years; there can be few periods of Government like it in living memory. Since Wales last went to the polls in 2016 for the Senedd elections, we have witnessed unprecedented social and political upheaval. There have been two general elections, three Prime Ministers and one referendum. The UK has left the European Union, ending a successful 40-year union, and is yet to establish a new trading relationship with Europe or the rest of the world. At home, despite promising that it wouldn't seek to consolidate power at Westminster, the present UK Government is now trying to roll back the clock on devolution with its thinly hidden assaults on the Senedd authority to make decisions on behalf of the people of Wales. Llywydd, that is why we will challenge the internal market Act at every opportunity at our disposal.
Llywydd, the current Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer is the fourth to claim that austerity is over—and there've only been four of them—but the Welsh Government's budget for next year, as I've heard the finance Minister explain, is still 3 per cent lower in real terms per person than a decade ago. And when the present Chancellor announced in November that now was the time to invest in the UK's future infrastructure, what did that really mean for Wales? Well, you know the answer: not a single penny piece.
Now, in addition to political instability, national and international upheaval and unremitting austerity, this Senedd term has also seen the climate emergency continue to escalate. And yet, all of this has been overshadowed by the current public health crisis. For almost a year, Wales and the rest of the world has been gripped by a virus that continues to be full of unpleasant surprises. At every term, this Government has put people's lives and livelihoods first. We have worked with our public services, not with expensive and untested private companies, to respond to the extraordinary threat of coronavirus.Our annual report highlights the £1.5 billion of additional resources we have provided for the NHS in Wales, more than 600 million items of PPE made available to front-line health and social care staff, and the 145,000 positive cases successfully reached by our test, trace, protect service. It shows we have provided £1 billion of additional funding for local authorities, how we have supported thousands of additional counselling sessions for children and young people, and revolutionised our approach to homelessness, securing accommodation for 5,000 people. We've recognised the essential contribution of front-line social care workers, not with a badge or warm words, but with a £500 payment—a policy since implemented in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Mark Drakeford AC: And the report highlighted how we were the first Government in the United Kingdom to extend free school meals support in the school holidays, a commitment we have now extended to Easter 2022. Our £3.2 billion economic resilience fund has provided the most generous offer of support to businesses anywhere in the United Kingdom, shaped by the advice of our social partnership council. And as soon as the public health situation improves, of course we want to see our businesses trading and thriving again.
Llywydd, I'm very proud to report that our wonderful vaccination teams have given more than 600,000 people their first dose of a vaccine in just over two months. This is truly remarkable progress in such a short time and we will support the first amendment laid to the debate this afternoon, while rejecting the other two.
Austerity, Brexit, climate change and coronavirus: this combination of challenges would have been enough to slow the progress of any Government, but this Government has delivered on the promises it made to people in Wales five years ago. In 2016, we promised we would cut taxes for small businesses and we've done that; that we would provide free childcare for three and four-year-olds and we've done that too; invest £100 million in school standards, and that's been done; create an £80 million new treatment fund to improve access to new medicines, done as well; double the capital limit to £50,000, done two years earlier than promised; create 100,000 all-age apprentices, and that's been delivered as well; build 20,000 affordable homes. Every one of those promises delivered. And these were just the most prominent of the offers we made to the people in Wales. We've delivered a much wider programme of work to protect and build prosperity and to make Wales a more equal and greener country.
We created the development bank, the envy of the rest of the UK. It invested more than £100 million in 2019-20, safeguarding or creating almost 4,000 jobs in Wales. It now manages more than £1.2 billion of Welsh Government funds—an unprecedented scale of investment in our economy. Llywydd, this term has been the term of the foundational economy, the everyday goods and services we all need, the jobs that stay in the communities that create them. We are supporting innovative projects right across Wales to test exciting new ways of working in this crucial sector.
And when it comes to those who have the least, we continue to invest in the Wales-only council tax reduction scheme, helping more than 270,000 households in need to make ends meet, with 220,000 households paying no council tax at all. We've put a record £27.6 million into our unique discretionary assistance fund this year alone. We've launched our single advice fund, which brings millions of pounds to families most in need of help. We've doubled and doubled again the number of times a child can get help with the costs of the school day. We've created, expanded and funded our national programme to tackle holiday hunger—the only example in the whole of the United Kingdom of a national scheme, nationally funded.
Llywydd, I turn to that other great emergency of our time, the climate emergency that this Senedd declared in 2019, becoming the first Parliament anywhere in the world to do so. On this side of the Senedd, we are internationalists not nationalists, focused on the interdependencies of this fragile planet, not the illusions of independence. We make our contributions seriously and practically across the whole range of this Government's responsibilities. Wales continues to be one of the best recycling nations in the whole of the world, but still we want to be better. We've invested more than £40 million in the circular economy, helping us to use and reuse and then recycle materials that might otherwise be thrown away, supporting our goal of becoming a zero-carbon Wales.
In August, we published our clean air plan, setting out the actions we will take to improve air quality, and, last month, we published a White Paper further to strengthen our approach. We've set out ambitious plans for a national forest, and our local places for nature programme has created nearly 400 community gardens and other green spaces where people live, bringing nature to people's doorstep in a year in which we have needed it most. In 2020, for the first time in our history, more than half of Wales's electricity needs were met by renewable energy, and there are more than 72,000 renewable energy projects in Wales, moving us closer towards sustainable low-carbon energy generation.
Llywydd,this is the second full term in which the Senedd has exercised full law-making powers. In a five-year term that has been dominated by Brexit andthe pandemic, our legislative workload has reflected that mix. We have made 72 Welsh EU exit statutory instruments and consented to a further 219 UK EU SIs, as we made sure our statute book was ready for Brexit. The legislative impact of coronavirus has dominated the work of the Senedd for nearly 12 months, placing huge demands on the legal resources of the Welsh Government. We have made and renewed the legislation that has kept Wales safe on more than 120 occasions. And all this while also passing 17 new laws, with another three still before the Senedd. When considered together, our legislative programme has widened the franchise in local government elections, provided greater security for renters, laid the groundwork for our new curriculum, protected children by prohibiting the use of physical punishment, introduced minimum alcohol pricing, abolished the right to buy, repealed oppressive anti-trade union laws, and created the first Welsh taxes for almost 800 years, using those powers for progressive purposes.
Llywydd, the annual report sets out clearly how this Welsh Government has worked through the toughest of circumstances to improve the lives of people in Wales in practical ways that make a real difference. These achievements are an investment in a better Wales now and in the future, and have helped to keep our people safe in the face of this year's challenges. Those challenges have not gone away, and neither has this Government's priorities of protecting the health service, safeguarding jobs and working hard everyday for a more equal Wales. That is how we begin to look forward to reconstruction, that is how we can create a future that is fairer, and better because it is fairer. The record of this Government is a source of pride, and, most importantly, a source of hope. I invite the Senedd to consider the annual report.

The Deputy Presiding Officer took the Chair.

Diolch, Prif Weinidog. I have selected the three amendments to the motion, and I call on Andrew R.T.Davies to move amendments 1 to 3, tabled in the name of Mark Isherwood.

Amendment 1—Mark Isherwood
Add as new point at end of motion:
Acknowledges and thanks all public servants and the public in their efforts in tackling COVID-19 in the last year.

Amendment 2—Mark Isherwood
Add as new point at end of motion:
Regrets the lack of a national recovery plan being brought forward by the Welsh Government, especially with 3,500 people potentially missing out on cancer treatment in Wales.

Amendment 3—Mark Isherwood
Add as new point at end of motion:
Further notes the lack of ambition in the legislative programme, particularly the delay in introducing a clean air Act for Wales before the end of the Senedd term, despite having cross party support.

Amendments 1, 2 and 3 moved.

Andrew RT Davies AC: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I thank the First Minister for introducing this important debate to the Senedd today to reflect on the annual report and note its contents. The first amendment, I think, is wholly appropriate, and I'm pleased to hear about the First Minister's support for that amendment, paying thanks to everyone involved in the extraordinary endeavoursboth of the Government, but of society at large, we must reflect on, because it is the people at large who've bought into the measures to try and suppress the virus across the length and breadth of Wales, but in particular public servants and the role that they've played, whether that be in local authorities, health boards—or in the Government itself, in fairness. I'll put my thanks—I might disagree with some of the policies that Government have come out with, but I know a lot of these policy decisions have been debated vigorously within Government, and the floor of the Chamber is the place for us to debate the differences, but I know the pressures that the First Minister and Ministers have faced as well, and, whilst I disagree on some of the policy positions, I know they've worked around the clock to try and endeavour to breach some of the shortfalls that people have felt in their everyday lives across Wales. That's why I think it's important that—I hope the whole Assembly will be able to endorse the first amendment, because, all too often, it's easy to say thank you, but you must mean it.

Andrew RT Davies AC: And I hope that the Senedd will speak with one voice when it comes to amendment 1. And I think the best way to reflect on that, because I know the First Minister in his remarks around First Minister's questions was agitated, shall we say, that the leaders of the parties hadn't spoken about the vaccination roll-out—well, if he'd heard the statement earlier on in the afternoon, that thanks was wholesome and fulsome, certainly coming from the Conservative benches, around the efforts around vaccination.And I want to put on record as well that I think the vaccine roll-out has really shown, where Governments work best, they work together to achieve such a success in vaccine roll-out. It was right from an opposition point of view that we highlighted the shortcomings of the early part of the vaccine here in Wales, but ultimately momentum has gained in that particular programme and now we're moving on in greater numbers. No-one wants to see that programme fail, but the early actions of the UK Government, working with the devolved Governments to get into the market to purchase those vaccination doses, have meant that we are, at the moment, leading the world in making sure that our population is safe and secure, with a vaccination programme that is meeting targets unheard of in other parts of the world.
Amendment 2 talks of the need to have a recovery plan, and a clear recovery plan, because we know the damage that the COVID crisis has hit us with in the economy, but, importantly, in the health sector. Reading the annual report, it is difficult to decipher, and seeing the First Minister and hearing the First Minister's responses in First Minister's questions today, it was trying, to say the least, to realise that there was so little available information about how those plans might look when we come out the other side of the COVID crisis, when we have waiting times with one in five people on a waiting list here in Wales—nearly 240,000 people waiting 36 weeks or more. And when you have people like the chief executive of Tenovus saying that they are receiving pushback from the Government when it comes to pushing for a cancer recovery plan, that really is concerning. And that is our job as an opposition—to highlight these concerns. And hopefully, when we go into the general election campaign here in Wales, we'll be able to debate and discuss the alternatives that we, certainly from the Welsh Conservatives, want to put before the people of Wales to see that radical transformation that we believe is in the grasp of the people of Wales when they fill out the ballot papers by having a change of Government after 6 May. So, I do urge the First Minister, in the time left for this Government, to actually work night and day to bring those preparations forward so that we can have confidence that there isn't a stagnation at the heart of Government when it comes to the recovery plans, and we can have confidence that we will be tackling these huge numbers in the health sector in particular. That's why amendment 2 has been tabled, and I would urge Assembly Members to support amendment 2, because I think it adds substance to the main motion.
Amendment 3 focuses on the legislative programme. And to me, what encapsulates failure in the legislative programme is the inability of the First Minister himself to deliver on a leadership manifesto commitment, which was the clean air Act. There was universal support around the Chamber for this to actually happen, and I hope in his summing up the First Minister will reflect on a missed opportunity here. We know for a fact that there have been at least 2,000 premature deaths a year because of the dirty air that is breathed in the communities of Wales. And, as I said, if it was a leadership commitment, it should have been delivered, because there was consensus on the floor in Plenary for this to happen. And, as we’re seeing today with the elections Bill, it is possible to deliver emergency legislation that can be effective and can make a difference, and I really regret that the First Minister wasn't able to fulfil his manifesto commitment in his leadership bid and deliver such a clean air Act to the floor of Plenary, which would have enjoyed universal support.
And I'll close on this about promises: it is vital that Government Ministers of any colour, whenever they stand in a Parliament, in a parliamentary debating chamber and they give a commitment, stick to that commitment. The recent rowback on that with nitrate vulnerable zones is a clear indication to the people of Wales when it comes to trust. We can argue about the merits of the proposals, and you and I have debated this, First Minister. It's not about the merits of the proposals, because I've said many a time that one pollution incident is one too many, but it's the seven commitments—at least seven commitments—verbally that the Minister gave that, during the pandemic, these regulations would not be brought forward because of the effect that they would have on the agricultural sector. And yet despite those seven commitments—promises, I would say—that were made on the floor in Plenary, the Government are hell-bent on driving this through. So, when the First Minister talks about promising to make commitments to the people of Wales, he might reflect on the broken promise that he made to the rural economy and the rural community around NVZs. And how on earth, if they throw away such promises so lightly, can people trust the Welsh Labour Government when they seek re-election on 6 May? I therefore urge this Assembly to support the three amendments that are tabled in the name of Mark Isherwood, because I think they substantially add to the debate and improve the motion.

Adam Price AC: I'm pleased to have the opportunity for the second time today to scrutinise the programme for government annual report. I won't rehearse the points I made earlier on the systemic lack of delivery of this Government in key areas such as child poverty and fuel poverty. But I will say that we have become far too familiar with this repetitious pattern over the term of this Government and previous Governments: targets being set, targets being missed, targets being dropped, targets being reset even further into the future, as we've seen with the latest target on the environment today.
In other areas such as housing, the targets are so meaningless and so far removed from the reality of people's life on the ground under this Government, that you do have to question the value of the exercise in the first instance. Whilst the Government boasts in this document about delivering its manifesto commitment to build 20,000 affordable homes, the reality for too many people in Wales—particularly young people—is that they can't afford to buy houses in communities that are on their knees as a result of too many second homes and in communities where the Labour Government's allegedly affordable homes sell for £250,000 and more, and do more to increase the profits of private developers than they do in meeting local needs for housing. Even the housing Minister herself has now acknowledged that the definition and this Government's emphasis on affordable homes is not fit for purpose in terms of tackling the homelessness crisis in Wales.
At a political level, the lack of will to respond sufficiently swiftly and robustly to complex issues such as the second-homes crisis, which is literally working against so many of the Government's other priorities, from the Welsh language to sustainability, actually hinders delivery. And whilst budgets are tight, the inability to work creatively and to implement policies such as the expansion of free school meals—as we heard again in the budget debate—which would bring clear benefits in so many areas and possible savings too, even after the child poverty review stated that this was the one thing that could make the biggest difference in transforming the lives of children living in poverty, is just negligent.
But the deficiencies in terms of political will and ambition in themselves don't explain what's at the core of the lack of delivery on a systemic basis. It's clear that the machine supporting governance in Wales in its broadest sense is not adequate and not properly aligned, as Alun Davies referred to earlier, in terms of delivering the comprehensive agenda in terms of sustainability and prevention that there is a broad consensus in favour of. The statutory framework that this Senedd has put in place is there on paper, and in principle at least, but as the Public Accounts Committee's inquiry and the Finance Committee's inquiry is currently discovering, in terms of barriers to the delivery of the future generations Act, we need fundamental changes if we are to deliver long-term progress.
Ironically, perhaps it's the pandemic above all else, and the need to act swiftly together as one team, one nation, one public service, that will be the driver that will have done most to deliver these aims and objectives, more than anything else that the Government has done during this term. So, how therefore do we take that next step in terms of operating as one public service, one nation, as we recover from the pandemic and avoid those old ways of working? In terms of the Government's public services in their entirety, we have to be more disciplined and try and reduce the number of indicators and objectives and strategies that are just piling up, and focus on the main well-being objectives within the well-being of future generations Act; one framework in terms of a programme for government, for the work of all of the arm's-length bodies, the councils and so on, and empowering staff and specialists on the ground in their various sectors to do their work without tinkering from the centre. The great reward of independence ultimately will be further devolution and empowerment within Wales, going hand in hand.
No Government, be it central or local, can undertake a properly independent assessment of its own performance. So, we need better accountability and an external overview in order to measure performance. Surely, the future generations commissioner has a more specific role to play, and the Senedd itself for that matter, in terms of accountability and delivery in the next term. Would the First Minister perhaps agree that creating a public administration committee within this Senedd would bridge that gap between the role of political leaders and leaders within the public sector? Certainly, this First Minister in waiting—

The Member must bring his comments to a close.

Adam Price AC: —believes that. And believes that because there is a role for everyone in creating the new Wales. It is work that we all have to do to create structures to deliver it.

Dawn Bowden AC: First Minister, can I welcome the annual report on the delivery of the programme for government? After the last 12 months that we've all experienced, it's an excellent reminder to me that the many hours spent online have been time well spent supporting this Welsh Government through the pandemic, and in continuing to deliver on the manifesto promises that we made at the 2016 election. Because I know that, aside from the necessary actions to get us through the pandemic, the communities of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney have been well served by some of the core policies of this Welsh Government, whether that is, as you've already outlined, First Minister, in extending free school meals, council tax support, free prescriptions, free childcare, all-age apprenticeships, support for small businesses, access to the new treatments fund, and so much more.
My constituents have also benefited from capital investment in education, in health, in town centre regeneration and in transport. I've had the pleasure of attending the opening of new and refurbished schools at Ysgol Idris Davies in Rhymney, and Ysgol Afon Tâf in Troed-y-rhiw, with other new schools in the pipeline. We will shortly open a new bus station in Merthyr Tydfil, which has the potential to become a new transport hub for the area. Our rail lines and stations are being upgraded, and we will soon see four trains an hour between Merthyr, Rhymney and Cardiff, opening up opportunities for people to live and work more easily in these Valleys communities, all of which will be so important in the post-COVID recovery if we are to build back fairer.
We will complete the improvements to the Heads of the Valleys road, which has the potential to deliver a real economic stimulus to the northern Valleys along the A465 corridor, and we will see continued investment in Prince Charles Hospital, with a further £220 million announced just last October, ensuring that we not only have world-class services being delivered by an amazing NHS workforce, but world-class facilities in which to do so as well.
Now, I'm not here to say that the job is done, because it never is, and despite all the benefits of policies delivered by the Welsh Government, and the difference that I've seen them make to so many lives, I know that we always have more to do, and the challenges that face our communities post COVID cannot be underestimated. But for now, I am proud to represent the party of Government in Wales that has delivered on its promises to my constituency. Diolch.

Mick Antoniw AC: Dirprwy Lywydd, for 30 years I worked as a lawyer in employment and trade union legislation, and year after year I saw the consequences of Tory reductions in workers' rights and the voice of working people. Nothing has changed since then, other than that when I came into this Senedd, and we had legislative powers, and we started to develop a series of laws and legislation that began to try and restore some of those protections, even within the limited competence that we had. We supported the union learning fund. We gave rights to agricultural workers when they were being abolished in England. We opposed the blacklisting of trade union members at a time when, in England, there were many complicit in that activity. We abolished zero-hours contracts for care workers and, more recently, we have opposed trade union restrictions that were being imposed in England that, fortunately, we've been able to restrain within Wales.
So, very important in this legislation, following on from the statement made by Hannah Blythyn earlier, are really two very important pieces within the legislative programme, some of which will have to carry through, and they are the social partnership Bill, but also the implementation of section 1 of the Equality Act 2010. We must not underestimate the importance of these within our COVID environment at the moment and as we come out of COVID, because the one thing that we all say in common is that things can't go back to how they were, which means they cannot go back to how they were in terms of jobs, zero-hours contracts, bogus self-employment and austerity for working people. So, the social partnership Bill, which is going to go out for consultation, I think is one of the pinnacles of the legislative programme of this Government. It really enables us to almost implement a future generations legislation for working people, for workplaces to establish ethical standards of employment.
So, I very much welcome that, because I know two things about Tory Governments, the two things that they always do: one is they cut taxes for the rich and the second is they always gag the voice of working people. So, this legislation is something that is radical and an opportunity for Welsh legislation to really make a mark for the future. And I'd be grateful, First Minister, if you could perhaps expand on the consultation that will take place and the sort of timetable you envisage, going through into the next Senedd to the next Labour Government.

Thank you very much. I have no Members who've requested an intervention, therefore I call on the First Minister to reply to the debate.

Mark Drakeford AC: Dirprwy Lywydd, thank you very much. Can I thank Andrew R.T. Davies for his generous opening remarks? I know that he's put on record this afternoon his appreciation of the vaccination efforts that have been made by front-line workers here in Wales, and as I indicated, the Labour Party and the Government will support the first amendment that his party has laid to this afternoon's debate. I thank him for his support for this Government's decision to agree to the UK-wide effort for procuring vaccinations.
I share his regret that it has not been possible to bring forward a clean air Bill during this final year of this Senedd term, just as I regret the fact that the social partnership Bill hasn't been possible, that the tertiary education Bill hasn't been possible, and that many other important aspects of our legislative programme have had to be sacrificed because of the demands that coronavirus has placed on the resources of the Welsh Government, and on the resources of this legislature as well.
Our commitment to a clean air Act is as strong today as it has been throughout. That is why we published the document we did—it was launched at the Eisteddfod in August—and why we have published a White Paper. It is a very clear down payment on our determination to bring that legislation forward if we are in a position to do so, and I look forward to his support when we do that.I wish we could have his support for pollution in the agriculture industry as well, but we know we're not going to get that, and people will draw their own conclusions.
Adam Price, Llywydd, said he wouldn't reprise his contribution of earlier today before he went on to do so. When he couldn't say that our targets hadn't been met, he tried to argue that they weren't the right targets. I don't think that the 20,000 families that are now able to live in homes that otherwise would not have been available to them—decent homes, affordable homes, homes in every part of Wales—I don't think they would share the dismissive approach to that that he repeated for the second time this afternoon.
Can I thank Dawn Bowden for her support for the Welsh Government throughout the very challenging times of the last 12 months? Thank you to her, as well, for mentioning the twenty-first century schools and colleges programme, the biggest programme of renewing our education estate for 50 years—a programme unrivalled not simply in the devolution period but for 30 years before that. Of course she is right to point to all those other things that we are doing that will make such a difference in our Valleys communities. When she referred to the completion of the Heads of the Valleys road, that is the completion, again, of a project that has been a Labour project for the whole of the period of devolution, a project, as we know, bitterly attacked on the floor of the Senedd by Plaid Cymru as we move to its completion, but a project that will bring prosperity and new economic opportunity to those Valleys communities that this Labour Government has at the heart of what we believe to be important for the future of Wales.
Thanks to Mick Antoniw, as well, for drawing that thread that has run through this Senedd term of restoring protections to people who otherwise would have had them robbed away from them. I look forward to publishing a draft social partnership Bill. We will do that before the end of this Senedd term. It will have aspects of it that we will wish to consult with our partners on. That's the nature of social partnership. That's how we want the Bill itself to be constructed, in partnership with our local government colleagues, our trade union colleagues and with public and private sector employers in Wales as well. If I look back over the last 12 months, then I think of the social partnership council as one of the core strengths that we have had to draw on in these most difficult days. That council has met every two weeks throughout the crisis. It has focused on some of the most difficult decisions that Governments have had to make. It has thrashed out some deeply controversial matters in a spirit of social partnership and the Bill will ensure that that uniquely Welsh way of transacting our public debate and discharging our public responsibilities will be underpinned by the force of law if we are in a position to bring that in front of a Senedd after the next election.
The report in front of the Senedd today reflects the most extraordinary period in our history. It demonstrates, if I could say so, not just the strength that we have here in Wales, the support we have from the public, the way we've been able to draw organisations together, but it has demonstrated the strength of the Senedd as well, the way in which this legislature has adapted to the ways in which we now have to work. It has found ways of scrutinising some of the most significant pieces of legislation that have ever been put in front of a legislature in the period of devolution. I thank all Members from all parties for the contribution that they have made to this extraordinary national effort. Of course we don't agree on everything, as Andrew R.T. Davies said, and nor should we, but when things have been at their most serious, the ability to come to the floor of the Senedd, to hear the debates, to gather the support we have needed—I think that that has demonstrated the strength of our devolved institutions as well as of the response we've been able to make here in Wales. In concluding this debate, I thank all those who have made a positive contribution to that enormous national effort.

Thank you. The proposal is to agree amendment 1. Does any Member object? I don't see any objection. Therefore, amendment 1 is agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Amendment agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

The proposal is to agree amendment 2. Does any Member object? [Objection.] I see an objection to amendment 2. Okay. We now defer voting on this item until voting time.

Voting deferred until voting time.

In accordance with Standing Order 12.18, I will suspend the meeting before we proceed to voting time.

Plenary was suspended at 20:15.
The Senedd reconvened at 20:17, with the Llywydd in the Chair.

12. Voting Time

We'll move, therefore, to voting time. The first vote is on the debate on the draft budget for 2021-22. The first vote is on amendment 1, tabled in the name of Mark Isherwood. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 11, no abstentions and 39 against. Therefore, amendment 1 is not agreed.

Item 10 - Debate: The Draft Budget 2021-22 - Amendment 1 (tabled in the name of Mark Isherwood): For: 11, Against: 39, Abstain: 0
Amendment has been rejectedClick to see vote results

The next vote is on amendment 4, tabled in the name of Siân Gwenllian. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 17, three abstentions and 30 against. Therefore, amendment 4 is not agreed.

Item 10 - Debate: The Draft Budget 2021-22 - Amendment 4 (tabled in the name of Siân Gwenllian): For: 17, Against: 30, Abstain: 3
Amendment has been rejectedClick to see vote results

I therefore call for a vote on the motion, tabled in the name of Rebecca Evans. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 30, no abstentions, 20 against. Therefore, the motion is agreed.

Item 10 - Debate: The Draft Budget 2021-22 - Motion without amendment (tabled in the name of Rebecca Evans): For: 30, Against: 20, Abstain: 0
Motion has been agreedClick to see vote results

The next vote is on item 11, the debate on the programme for government annual report and legislative programme. The first vote is on amendment 2, tabled in the name of Mark Isherwood. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 22, two abstentions and 26 against, and therefore the amendment is not agreed.

Item 11 - Debate: The Programme for Government Annual Report and Legislative Programme - Amendment 2 (tabled in the name of Mark Isherwood): For: 22, Against: 26, Abstain: 2
Amendment has been rejectedClick to see vote results

The next vote is on amendment 3, tabled in the name of Mark Isherwood. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 19, one abstention and 30 against, therefore amendment 3 is not agreed.

Item 11 - Debate: The Programme for Government Annual Report and Legislative Programme - Amendment 3 (tabled in the name of Mark Isherwood): For: 19, Against: 30, Abstain: 1
Amendment has been rejectedClick to see vote results

The next vote is on the motion tabled in the name of Rebecca Evans. Open the vote. Close the vote. In favour 42, no abstentions and nine against, and therefore the motion is agreed.

Motion NDM7587 as amended:
To propose that the Senedd, in accordance with Standing Order 11.21(ii):
Notes:
a) the Welsh Government Annual Report 2020;
b) the Legislative programme.
Acknowledges and thanks all public servants and the public in their efforts in tackling COVID-19 in the last year.

Item 11 - Debate: The Programme for Government Annual Report and Legislative Programme - Motion as amended: For: 42, Against: 9, Abstain: 0
Motion as amended has been agreedClick to see vote results

That concludes voting for today and it concludes our business for today. Good evening.

The meeting ended at 20:21.

QNR

Questions to the First Minister

Russell George: How is the Welsh Government supporting communities affected by flooding in mid Wales?

Mark Drakeford: We are providing funding to Powys and other local authorities to help manage flood risk, to respond to the immediate impact of floods, to recover from floods and to support householders affected by floods.

David J. Rowlands: What assessment has the First Minister made of the implications of the European Union invoking article 16 in regard to COVID-19 vaccines?

Mark Drakeford: We have been working closely with the UK Government and BEIS on vaccine supply. The dispute with the EU and vaccine suppliers is being monitored to ensure Wales continues to get its supply of vaccines to meet our milestones, as laid out in the vaccine strategy.

Neil Hamilton: Will the First Minister outline the extent to which the Education Act 1996 has influenced Welsh Government policy in the fifth Senedd?

Mark Drakeford: Devolution has been the most important influencing factor on education policy in Wales. Our national mission is helping us to raise standards, raise the attainment of all children and ensure we have an education system that is a source of national pride and public confidence.

David Melding: What discussions has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government to ensure that the Turing scheme promotes objectives similar to those of the EU's Erasmus programme?

Mark Drakeford: The Minister for Education and her officials have repeatedly pressed that any alternative must fully replace the benefits of Erasmus+. It is disappointing that the UK Government have excluded valuable elements of Erasmus+ from their Turing scheme. The scheme does not include inward mobilities and excludes youth and sport entirely.